Smaller Souls and Greater Evils
by Old Wolf Logan
Summary: Ruby Rose thinks of herself as an ordinary adventurer who only rarely leaves her home province of Reikland. But when she and her sister, Yang, are summoned by the Emperor himself, her world get a hell of a lot bigger, and equally as dangerous. A new RWBY Warhammer crossover. Primarily an adventure story, but with the possibility of White Rose, Bumblebee and Arkos in the future.
1. Prologue

**A/N: Hello folks, my name is Old Wolf Logan with a little something new for my fellow RWBY fans. This is my first multi-part fan-fic and it's something I've wanted to do for a while now. Just imagine the core characters of RWBY, along with select side characters, in the world of Warhammer Fantasy Battles (I know the universe is technically dead, but then again, fuck The End Times). Don't expect any ships to develop immediately (except for Arkos, because Jaune deserves a fucking win already) but it is possible in the future. If you don't know much about Warhammer Fantasy, I am more than happy to do explanatory filler chapters when necessary. If you enjoy this, please sure to follow, favorite, and leave a review, if you want.**

 **Please keep in mind that certain details will be changed in order to keep with the canon of both universes as best I can.**

 **Finally, this chapter is designed to be like the original trailers from 2013, so it will be somewhat short.**

 **Disclaimer: The following is a non-profit fan-fiction. RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth, LLC, and Warhammer Fantasy Battles is owned by Games Workshop Group, PLC.**

Smaller Souls and Greater Evils

Prologue

 _The Old World stands at a precipice._

 _The marauding forces of Chaos are over-running the human nation of Kislev, and should they succeed, the Empire of Man will be next._

 _The race of elves are in turmoil. The vile Dark Elves have regained a foothold in their ancestral island home during a time when the High Elf court is in turmoil. Meanwhile, the Wood Elves of Athel Loren are beset by roving warherds of Beastmen._

 _In the World's Edge Mountains, the dwarves are being pushed back into what remaining holds they still have by hordes of Greenskins._

 _And amongst all this conflict, a greater power conspires for global conquest._

 _It is an Age of War. An age where the very fate of the world will be decided by the actions of a few heroes, forged in the flames of this war. Heroes of light, and heroes of darkness._

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Town of Vale, Province of Reikland, The Empire

A man on horseback gazed across the wheat field to the town before him, surveying his target.

"Alright boys," he yelled, raising his sword, "You know the drill; take any food, weapons and anything that looks valuable, and cut down anyone who tries to stop you!"

The men behind him, numbering around twenty souls, let out a yell and charged the town, happy to obey their leader's orders to the letter. Unbeknownst to these bandits, there was one soul left in the abandoned town who was willing to stand up to them: a young girl who stood in the bell tower of the church. She was dressed in lightweight, form-fitting red-trimmed black armor, with a red hooded cloak that billowed in the breeze behind her. She was armed with a large scythe that matched her armor.

As she observed the bandits in the midst of their sack, she began to plan her attack. She noticed that the men traveled in groups of no more than three and only one was ever armed, while another carried a large bag that became ever more full of loot and the third seemed to pick what places they would target. Her next move became apparent quickly; divide and conquer.

She took a few steps back before she broke out into a run and leapt out of the window-less opening, landing on a nearby rooftop. Without losing her momentum, she ran to the end of the house, where a group was trying to figure out where to go next, and jumped down onto one of the thugs, knocking him out. Before the other two could react, she stood up, her scythe on her shoulders, and pivoted around 360 degrees on the ball of one foot, knocking out the remaining thugs with the haft of her scythe.

This continued in a similar fashion until the only leader was left before her. "There's no way one little girl could knock out twenty grown men by herself. Unless, you're who I think you are. Let's see your face girl!"

The girl considered this for a minute, "Might as well," she said. She lowered her hood, revealing black hair that turned red at the tips, an innocent face, and, most notably, silver eyes. "My name is Ruby Rose of Patch."

"I knew it," the bandit leader said, drawing himself into a defensive stance, "Red hair, silver eyes, wields a scythe with almost no armor. No doubt about it. You're the Red Reaper of Reikland."

"Now you know who I am. We still gonna do this?"

With out missing a beat, the bandit leader threw down his weapons, got on the ground and put his hands on his head. "No. I may not be the brightest guy in the Empire, but I'm not dumb enough to pick a fight with someone with your reputation."

Ruby sheathed her scythe and pulled out a length of rope, "You picked the fight when you decided to attack a defenseless town," she said as she started tying him up.

A few hours later, as the sun was rising, the townsfolk returned to find their town mostly intact and the group of bandits who had plagued them for months tied up in the town square under the guard of the famous Ruby Rose.

Ruby turned at the sound of footsteps. "I take it the garrison is sending someone to pick these guys up?" she asked the mayor, shaking his hand.

"Yes. We dispatched our fastest messenger to find help shortly before you arrived. I must say, your reputation is most definitely deserved. If there is anyway we can repay you- "

"Our original agreement was more than sufficient," Ruby interrupted with a smile, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I had better get back home before my dad decides to get the Reiksguard to organize a rescue party."

"Thank you again, Ms. Rose."

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Castle Schnee, Province of Middenland, The Empire

Weiss tried to hide it, but she knew her opponent knew how tired she was. Their match had lasted nearly half an hour and she had yet to land a single blow on her, while she could feel the welts left by her opponents' practice blade on her arms, legs, and torso.

Weiss was fully clothed in fencing practice gear, mask, vest, and glove and was wielding a practice rapier, with her snow-white hair tied in a ponytail. Her opponent was dressed similarly, but she wielded a practice saber.

"Ready to call it quits?" her opponent said.

"Not yet. I want to try something," she replied.

Catching her breath, she regained her stance; left foot forward, free hand in the small of her back, blade pointed at her opponent. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and concentrated on the task before her. After fighting this opponent for so long with no success, she reasoned that she had no other choice than to use her trump card. She focused inward, calling on the Winds of Magic to prepare a spell. Unfortunately, her opponent noticed this and smiled as she prepared for what she knew was coming.

Feeling the magic inside her, Weiss opened her eyes and stabbed her rapier into the ground. Almost immediately, her opponents' feet were covered in ice, pinning her in place. Seeing her opportunity, Weiss lunged at her opponent, aiming her rapier directly at her opponent's center of mass.

"Good, but not enough," her opponent said, slashing her saber above the ground in front of her. As she did so, a solid wall of ice sprung up. Weiss's blade impacted with the wall, digging deep into it. She tried to extract her blade from the ice, but her opponent had freed herself, jumped over the wall and stabbed her saber into Weiss' chest, knocking her on her back.

"Ooooowww."

"Good job Weiss," the opponent said. She removed her mask, revealing snow-white hair, blue eyes, and a fair complexion, "That last trick was rather clever." She offered Weiss a hand up.

"But still not enough to beat you, Winter," she said, taking her sister's hand, and removing her own mask. Her face was so like Winter's, one could almost consider them twins, if not for the obvious height difference. However, where Weiss's countenance seemed more innocent, Winter's was stern, hardened by the years she had spent fighting the enemies of her homeland, Beastmen.

"And now you should understand a very important lesson."

"Which is?"

"The difference between a match and a fight. In the tournaments you compete in, there are rules. There are limits to what you can and can't do. In a real fight, there are no rules. As a result, you must be able to think on your feet and hold nothing back, otherwise, it could cost you your life, or the lives of those you hold dear."

Weiss hung her head, thinking about what Winter had just said. She looked her sister in the eyes, "I understand."

"Excuse me, ladies." said a voice from the doorway. The sisters turned to see their butler standing there with his hands behind his back, "I beg your pardon, but your father has just arrived. Ms. Weiss, he wishes to speak to you."

"Thank you, Klein. I'll be right there."

"Actually, he is on his way here."

"Must be important," Winter said, taking Weiss's blade and mask, "I'll put the gear away. Go wash your face. You're sweating."

"Thank you," Weiss said, smiling.

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Norscan Border, Troll Country, Kingdom of Kislev

Blake yawned. It was the middle of the night and she was damn tired. The only thing keeping her awake was the knowledge that her watch was almost up. She heard a loud rustling behind her and turned to see her replacement with a mixture of joy and irritation.

"You're late Ilia."

"Yeah, sorry," her friend said, rubbing the back of her head, trying to look all cute and innocent. She was wearing her usual black tunic, pants, and boots and her long brown hair was tied up in a pony tail. "I got caught up. Corsac and Fennec needed to talk to me."

"What about?" she asked, inquisitively.

"Nothing really. They wanted to know how I was adjusting."

"Seems like a fair question. You have been with the White Fang for about a year and we've been through some major shit."

"I'll say. Remember that marauder band a few weeks back? I didn't think mercenaries dealt with that kind of thing."

"'We deal with whatever the coin tells us to', as Adam would say," Blake said, rolling her eyes. She was becoming fed up with that line. She stood up and gathered her swords before departing with a yawn.

"Oh, they also wanted me to tell you that Adam wanted to talk to you, as soon as you get back to camp."

"Okay, thanks."

As she made her way back to the camp, her mind drifted back to a thought that had been on her mind for a while; her future within the White Fang. The mercenary band had changed since her youth, and she wasn't sure she liked it. If there was anyone she could talk to about it, Adam would be the best idea. After all, he was the leader, so he had the actual power to change the band back to how it was. Then she thought about Adam. The man was almost a second father to her, but he had developed some…. somewhat odd habits lately.

She arrived at the camp, which was standard for a mercenary camp. Tents were set up everywhere so the men could sleep, there was a small forge in a clearing away from the tents, and all the other things a mercenary group needed to remain self-sufficient. She walked to the larger tent in the center of the camp, Adam's tent. As she came closer, she heard a voice speaking a language she didn't recognize coming from the tent. Curious, she approached quietly and peered inside. What she saw shocked her to her core.

She knew the man inside was Adam, his distinctive hair gave that away immediately, even in the low light. He was on his knees before an altar of some sort that bore idols in the shape of a dog, a crow, a raven, and a serpent, and was wearing a garment of some sort that bore a symbol she knew.

Run. That was all she could think. Run fast. Run far. Quietly, she made her way back to her tent. She grabbed everything she needed, as well as her only personal item: a locket that had portraits of her parents back in Menagerie on the inside of the covers. After she had packed, she crept out of the camp. When she was sure she was a safe distance from the camp, she brought her fingers to her lips and whistled. About a minute later, she heard a winey from behind her. She turned and saw a jet-black horse. Her faithful steed, appropriately named Shadow.

She met her steed and hugged its neck. "It's good to see you again, old friend. You're the only one left I know I can trust." The horse huffed, trying to comfort her. She saddled and mounted the horse, "It's time, Shadow. We're leaving."

And she rode off into the night, her exhaustion completely forgotten.

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Fortress-Town of Helmgart, Province of Reikland, The Empire

Below the fortified town of Helmgart, there exists a sport. Most of the town's citizens find it unsettling that it's even a thing, and they aren't necessarily wrong. After all, the fighting pits aren't exactly glamorous. Most contenders leave broken in some way and it takes a rare kind of person to succeed there.

Today's main event was an open challenge to anyone who thought they could take down the local champion. In the ring were a muscular young man with close-cut brown hair and a well-toned young lady with long blonde hair tied up in a ponytail. Both were shirtless, though the lady had a long strip of cloth wrapped around her upper torso to prevent her more than ample features from bouncing.

The young man was breathing heavily. He was a bare-knuckle champ back in his home village, so he expected that the competition in a military city like Helmgart would be tough, but he had to admit, this chick was tougher than he expected. From what he could gather, she wasn't a local, hailing from some nothing village called Patch, yet she had been the champion of this town for over two years. He knew he had landed more than a few solid blows on her, he could see the evidence from the various bruises covering her body. But for some strange reason, she still stood proud, grinning, and lightly panting, her body still in a fighting stance. He too was also covered in bruises and his face had a few cuts on it from the few shots she had managed to land up there. But he was beginning to tire. He was used to quick victories, his size usually intimidating his opponents, allowing him to land the first blow and then follow it up with more in quick succession before his foes fell unconscious. Not this fight though. He had landed the first blow, but his second was blocked and countered, which surprised him. After that, the fight was on, but his opponent never seemed to lose steam. If anything, it looked like she was getting stronger.

"What's wrong, Cardin Winchester? Calling it quits?" the girl said, taunting him.

"Not on your life, missy," he replied angrily. He charged her, but she countered by tripping him. As he rose, she jumped on his back and locked him in a sleeper hold. Knowing he had to act fast, he reached back, grabbed the girl by her hair and throw her forward off him with all he had. She slammed into the wooden fence that comprised the ring. He expected to hear more cheering after that little trick, but was met with silence.

"Everyone, take cover!" someone shouted from the crowd. The crowd began panicking and ran to hide behind something, a few of them peeking above their makeshift shields to continue watching the action.

"Hey, new guy," the blonde said, rising to her feet, "Don't you know there's a 'no hair-pulling' rule?"

"What? Yeah, I know."

"Ever wonder why we have that?"

"No," he said, curiosity and concern beginning to fill him.

The girl looked at him, pure rage in her eyes, "It's cuz of me," she said. She then lunged at her opponent, using the wood wall behind her to propel herself. Cardin's world slowed to a crawl as the blonde landed a furious right hook on him, blasting him back. In that time, he could swear the girl's lilac eyes had turned blood red. Cardin sailed over the wall and into the stands, barely missing many patrons.

The impact of her blow managed to lessen her velocity, but the girl still had to roll when she hit the ground in order to somewhat land on her feet.

The man in charge of the fights went to check on Cardin before walking over to the blonde brawler, grabbing her wrist, and raising it above her head. "The winner as a result of a ringout and a knockout, and still your Bareknuckle Fighting Champion, Yang Xiao Long!" The crowd cheered, coming out of their hiding places, while some grumbled and headed to the gambling booth to hand in their loses.


	2. A Meeting with Power

**Hello all, Great Wolf Logan here with the next chapter of Smaller Souls and Greater Evils. Before I say anything else, thank you. THANK YOU to everyone who followed and favorited this story. 13 follows and 7 favorites in one week? That's 13 and 7 more than I ever expected. Thank you all so much.**

 **This chapter finally gets the story going. In addition to RWBY and Warhammer characters, be sure to look for a few little extra cameos.**

 **Reviews:**

 **Guest- thank you for your review, I don't plan on stopping any time soon. Also, I hear your opinion, I respect it, and you're wrong. = P**

 **A special thanks goes to my editor, the ever adorable Fayeree. Love ya, sis!**

 **Disclaimer: The following is a non-profit fan-fiction. RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth, LLC, and Warhammer Fantasy Battles is owned by Games Workshop Group, PLC. Please keep in mind that certain details will be changed in order to keep with the canon of both universes.**

Smaller Souls and Greater Evils

Chapter 1- A Meeting with Power

Outside Patch Village, Province of Reikland, The Empire

Ruby Rose had ridden for two days since her little adventure in Vale and both she and her horse, Chestnut, were glad to be returning home. As she emerged from the forest into a large clearing, she could see her home; a two-story log cabin with a red metal roof and a porch that overlooked the fields in front of the house, where several workers were busy harvesting wheat and inspecting the various vegetables. Ruby figured she would take Crescent Rose and join them once she had stowed her traveling gear. After all, the workers were paid by the day, not by the amount of grain they harvested.

Ruby led her steed over to the warehouse that doubled as a stable for her family's horses. Walking in, she noticed that her father's horse was missing, while her sister's horse, a lovely blonde mare named Bumblebee, was in her stall, which told Ruby that Yang had finally returned from her week-long stay in Helmgart. Oddly, she was saddled up and ready to ride. Thinking nothing of it, she put Chestnut in the stall next to Bumblebee, filled her feed trough with oats and water and returned to the house.

"I'm home," she called out to nobody in particular, though her call did attract the attention of Zwei, the family dog, who ran up and jumped onto her and began furiously licking her face. She carried Zwei up to the room she and Yang shared, only to see that Yang was busy packing a rucksack and that she was decked out in her combat gear, which consisted of a breastplate, greaves, and combat boots over a specially made yellow chainmail tunic, black pants and completed by a brown coat equipped with pauldrons and faulds that covered her waist and rear. Her hand-made yellow-gold spiked gauntlets were waiting off to the side.

"Hey, Sis. Welcome home. Where were you at?" Yang asked, somewhat hurried.

"Vale, on a job from the guild. Just a gang of small-time bandits who were out of their depth. Nothing I couldn't handle. How was Helmgart?"

"Eh. No real challengers. A few repeat offenders and a newbie from the styx who made a very big mistake."

"The hair?"

"Yup."

Ruby shook her head in exasperation, and a little bit of humor before setting Zwei down on her bed.

"So, what's going on? Why are you packing?"

"That's why," she said pointing at a letter on her desk, "It's for both of us."

Ruby picked up the letter and began to read, almost unable to make out the flowing script:

 _Ms. Rose and Ms. Xiao Long,_

 _You are hereby summoned to the Imperial Court in Altdorf, for a meeting with the Emperor Karl Franz on a matter of utmost importance. We suggest that you leave as soon as you receive this letter, as the meeting will commence in approximately three days from the writing of this letter._

 _You are also hereby ordered not to reveal the purpose of your trip to Altdorf with anyone. If a situation arises that requires such an answer, either respond with 'I can't say' or display the seal on the front of this letter._

"Seriously? An audience with the Emperor himself?"

"Looks like."

"But what would he want with a pair of adventurers, one of whom is more concerned with beating men's faces in than doing guild work?"

"Don't know. What I do know is that that letter is dated two days ago, and it takes about a day of riding to get from Altdorf to here. If we're gonna make it to the meeting on time, we're gonna have to ride through the night. I already told dad about this and packed a bag with most of the supplies we'll need. Just a quick stop in town and we'll be good to go.

Ruby looked at the letter, then Zwei, who was lying on his back on her bed, then sighed and looked at the ceiling.

"Chestnut is not gonna be happy."

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Chestnut was not happy. She had only had about a half-hour of rest before Ruby had come back to the stable with Yang and began to put her saddle and reins back on.

"Chestnut, I know how you feel. We've barely had time to rest and now we have to go again, but I don't have a choice. The single most powerful person in the Empire has summoned me, and I have to answer."

Apparently, this wasn't a satisfactory answer, since Chestnut simply closed her eyes and turned her head away from Ruby, preventing the girl from setting the bit and bridle.

"How about this?" Ruby said with a sly grin, "We have to make a stop in town first. While we're there, I'll get you one of those apples you love so much."

Chestnut immediately responded, turning back to the girl, and nodding her head in clear agreement.

"I don't know whether to be amused or concerned with how easily your horse can be bribed," Yang said, mounting Bumblebee, "Then again, considering who her owner is…" Ruby ignored her as she finished getting Chestnut ready.

The ride into Patch, normally an hour long walk, took all of ten minutes. The small village square was in full swing by the time they arrived. Villagers milled about on their daily errands while merchants did their best to attract potential buyers or agree on the price of commodities. The girls rode over to their father's blacksmith shop and tied their horses off before going their separate ways; Yang to the market to get the supplies they still needed and Ruby to speak with her father.

Ruby opened the door to her father's shop, ringing the bell hung above the doorway. The walls were covered in weapons of all types and varieties, ranging from knives, hand axes, and swords to halberds, flamberges, war hammers and other exotic weapon designs her father had picked up over the years. An L-shaped, waist glass display case ran the length of the shop, serving as a counter top and terminating just before the corner opposite her. Behind the display case, was an open door that led to the main forge. She noticed some open spots in the main glass counter and behind it. Those must be for Dad's new projects, she thought.

"Dad, you in?" she called, walking towards the door that led to the forge.

"Hey, Ruby. Back here," her father's voice called from the forge.

The forge area was about as large as the main shop, but a hell of a lot hotter, which was natural. Despite her father's reputation as one of the best human blacksmiths in the world, his forge was rather standard: a hearth with bellows, anvil, assorted tools, and a water trough. As she walked in she could see him pumping the double bellows to increase the heat in the forge, in which was a long tube that was glowing a shade of reddish-yellow. Noticing this, her father stopped pumping the bellows, extracted the tube with a pair of tongs and dunked it in the trough. When he finally took it out, the tube had gone from reddish-yellow to metallic black.

Setting the tube aside, Tai removed the goggles and apron he had been wearing and turned to his daughter. His face and body were covered in sweat and there was a visible soot line on his face from the goggles. His blonde hair was matted with sweat and his tan tunic had sweat marks around the neck, in the underarms, and on the chest.

"Hey Dad. Still working on your pet project?" Ruby said as her father grabbed a towel to wipe off the sweat.

"Yup. Working on a new rifle prototype. I took a look at the plans I got from Helmgart when Yang went there last and I think I found some improvements to the design that could change the way we look at firearms."

He went over to the tube he had just forged and grabbed it, as well as the rifle he used as a base for his designs and brought them over to her.

"Look," he said, handing her the rifle, "This is a standard Imperial military-issue musket. It's fairly inaccurate on its own, but the fact that they're usually mass-fired ninety at a time makes up for it."

"So, what's the improvement?" Ruby asked, confused.

"Well, first," he said, lifting up the tube, "I elongated the barrel to increase accuracy at range. Second, I added a small piece of metal at the end of the barrel to help the user aim the damn thing. But the most important improvement is what's on the inside. Take a look."

Closing one eye, Ruby peered inside the metal tube. Inside, she saw a series of spiraling grooves along the inside of the tube, ones she didn't see inside the Imperial musket.

"What, the grooves?"

"Yup. It's a trick I picked up from the dwarfs of Karak Ziflin. They call it "rifling" and, supposedly, it increases the accuracy of the weapon by causing the ball to rotate when fired instead of letting it just bounce around inside the barrel. Now, I haven't tested it yet, so I can't exactly brag or anything, but I'm getting there. Now, enough dodging the point of your visit."

The look he gave her was dead serious, his hands on his hips and his lips in a tight purse.

"So, an Imperial summons."

"Yeah. The meeting time is tomorrow, so me and Yang are leaving for Altdorf as we speak. We need some supplies and I wanted to say hi to you."

"And goodbye. I understand what an Imperial summons means; no arguments, you have to go or be considered a rebel. I just wish you didn't have to go."

"Dad, I'm 19, I can take care of myself. I'm an accomplished member of the Adventurer's Guild and trained by one of the best Imperial knights of our age."

"Be that as it may, this isn't taking on a small group of bandits or dealing with some greenskin or beastman warband with your sister and several other veteran adventurers, this is likely to be a serious mission better meant for seasoned military fighters," realizing how he was starting to sound, he stopped, calmed himself down, and continued, "I understand what you're saying. You're not called the Reikland Reaper for nothing. It's just that, after Summer, I- "he stopped short of crying, "I just wish that my girls weren't the ones being summoned."

Ruby hugged her father, "We'll be fine, Dad. After all, we were outfitted by the greatest blacksmith in the Empire. Nothing short of magic pierces your steel."

Tai snapped his fingers, "That reminds me," he said. He went back into the shop and rooted through a chest. Ruby followed him in. As she entered, she heard an 'aha' before her father rose to his feet holding two bundles of cloth. "Since you're leaving today, I should probably give you girls these," he said, handing her a package. She opened it, revealing a set of four smaller versions of the rifle she had been holding earlier. Each was about 16 inches long, and the metal pieces were plated with stylized polished silver.

"Woah," she said, her eyes widening.

"Thought you'd like those. I figured you could use some kind of ranged weapon out there, so I had these made for you. These are called pistols. They're smoothbore, like the musket, so they're best used in medium to close-combat. Once you fire one, you can either drop it or it can be used as a makeshift club. I've also included holsters and a small supply of extra ammo."

Ruby hugged her father once again, tighter this time, and with extra love, "Thank you, Dad, I love you."

Taiyang embraced his daughter back, putting a hand on her head, "I love you too, Ruby." They stood there a few more seconds before Tai broke the embrace, "Now, you'd better get going. Your sister is probably waiting for you. Take this and give it to her." He handed her the other package and waved her out the door.

He stood there a moment before returning to his forge. Best get that custom order done before I start testing the prototype, he thought.

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Outside Altdorf, Province of Reikland, The Empire

Yang and Ruby had ridden through the night and by the time the sun was rising, they could see the outline to the Imperial capital. The city sat on the banks of the River Reik and stretched outward. The walls were high and looked strong. Outside the walls, several acres of farms were beginning to come to life. From the hill the girls were on, they could see two buildings rising over the rest: The Cathedral of Sigmar, the center and headquarters of the Imperial Faith, and the Imperial Palace, the political heart of the Empire for over a hundred years.

"Wow," Ruby said, "It looks even bigger than Dad described."

"Yeah," Yang replied. Bumblebee grew impatient from all the standing and began to trot off towards the city. "Gods, Bee, chill out, we were just admiring the view."

"She wouldn't have so much extra energy if you let her out every once in a while." Ruby cried out, urging Chestnut forward, "I keep telling you that she spends too much time in the stables."

"At home, fair enough, but in Helmgart? Are you nuts? The Reiksguard have wanted her for years. No way I'm letting those brutes get hold of her."

Chestnut threw Ruby a sideways glance. Ruby shrugged, and the girls kept riding until they reached the gates of the city, which were guarded by a squad of soldiers bearing pikes.

"Halt. State your names and business." Cried one of the guards as they approached.

"Ruby Rose and Yang Xiao Long, we've, uh, been summoned?" Ruby replied.

"Rose? As in THE Ruby Rose? The Red Reaper?" the young man asked.

"You've heard of me?"

"Tales of your exploits have reached even the Imperial Court, Ms. Rose," said a gruffer, older man as he walked up and put his hand on the younger guard, "I'll take it from here, Simmons."

"Yes sir," the younger man said as he walked over to the fire pit his squad mates were gathered around.

"Would you ladies mind providing some sort of official document that validates the purpose of your business?" the commanding officer asked them in a serious tone.

"Sure," Yang said. She pulled out their summons letter and showed the officer the seal.

"Good enough for me. Welcome to Altdorf ladies. Follow the main boulevard to get to the main square. From there you can find virtually any major landmark in the city. Lopez, open the door for them! Grif! Get your lazy ass back at attention before I shove my pike up it!"

"Sorry, Sarge, but I'm on break. You either use it or you lose it, man."

Yang and Ruby rode into the city, which was only just beginning to wake up. Merchants were setting up their stalls and smoke was beginning to rise from the chimneys of houses as the occupants tried to warm themselves. The main boulevard was made of cobblestone and ran about a mile through the city. As they travelled along it, they could see why it was considered the main street. What they had considered alleyways were actually narrow streets used by the populace. Ten minutes later, they reached the main square.

On one side stood the Cathedral of Sigmar, the largest temple in the entire city. It easily dwarfed the chapel the girls were familiar with in Patch, or the churches they had seen in their travels. It's most defining feature was the stained-glass window depicting the golden Hammer of Sigmar, Ghal Maraz, atop a red Imperial cross on a field of blue. They could see several men in brown robes entering the temple, monks on their way to morning worship, followed by what they assumed was the majority of the city's human population.

Across the road from the Cathedral was what could only be the Imperial Palace, it's gothic architecture giving off a sense of both splendor and dread. The girls dismounted and walked up to the front gate, their horses in tow, where they saw a girl in white and black travel clothes arguing with one of the guards.

"Do you even know who I am? I am Weiss Schnee, daughter of Boris Todbringer, the Elector-Count of Middenland!"

"Really? Well, guess what, princess, so am I!" replied the female guard.

Ruby walked up to the other guard, a man with sandy brown hair and an injured eye that he left uncovered.

"Excuse me," she said, as the two girls continued their argument, growing ever loud in volume and pitch, "We have a meeting with the Emperor."

"Names and proof, please," he asked politely, the total opposite of his partner.

"Ruby Rose and Yang Xiao Long," Yang replied, showing him the seal.

"I know those names, and I definitely know you," he said looking at Yang, "You're the fighting champion of Helmgart. I have a friend who's been looking for a chance to make it down there to challenge you."

"Tell him I accept all challengers."

"Well, I will definitely tell HER that," he laughed, "Anyway, everything looks good here. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to stop my partner from killing someone. Dakota, enough!" he said walking over and physically separating the women.

"If you so much as utter my father's name again, I swear by Ulric I'll make you pay." The white-haired girl said, drawing her sword.

"I'd like to see you try little girl."

"Enough!" boomed a voice from behind them. Everyone turned to see a tall man dressed in the robes of a high priest of Sigmar. His head was hairless except for a large, grey moustache. Over his robes, he wore a necklace with a large griffon pendant made of solid jade and he held a staff with a headpiece in the shape of a griffon holding Ghal Maraz. "What is the meaning of this?"

"Grand Theogonist, sir," the male guard said. Immediately he and his partner snapped to attention, crossed their spears across their bodies, their hands placed on their left breasts and bowed their heads, saluting the head of the Church of Sigmar. "You honor us with your presence."

"I have no time for formalities Sergeant York, now answer my question." The bald man said with a frown.

"Sir, this young lady," he indicated Weiss with his hand, "claims to be here by order of the Emperor but has no proof. We tried to explain to her that we couldn't allow her entry, to which she took exception. Things almost got physical, and I broke it up."

"And these two?" the man asked, looking at Yang and Ruby.

"The same sir, though they had proof of their claims. I had already allowed them entry before you arrived."

The Grand Theongonist nodded, clearly understanding the situation, and his face softened. He turned back to Weiss, "Lady Schnee, it is good to see you again, though I don't remember you being quite so tall when last we met," he said to her in an almost grandfatherly way.

"Well, Lord Volkmar, the last time we met was over ten years ago, so I guess a little physical growth is to be expected," she replied with a little hesitancy.

"Indeed," said Volkmar with a small smile, "Sergeant York, I can vouch that this girl is who she says she is, and, since I have business with the Emperor myself, I invite her to accompany me."

"Yes, Grand Theogonist," York said, and opened the gate for them.

"Follow me, ladies. I feel that Sigmar intended for our paths to cross today," Volkmar said to the three girls, "Also," he said to the female guard, "I believe I shall have to have a word with the commander of the Royal Guard about your behavior and treatment of a noble, Sergeant Dakota."

A few minutes later, the girls found themselves in the throne room of the single most powerful person in the whole of their country. Karl Franz himself was seated in front of a large table that displayed a map of the Empire. He was flanked by a man in orange robes wearing a bronze mask and holding a staff topped by a gold lion holding a large key. On either side of the table stood men in military uniforms. One of them had silver hair, spectacles and held a cane, while the other had black hair with greying temples, and had a sword strapped to his waist along with several pistols. The girls approached the table and Weiss immediately dropped to one knee, placed her sword point down and bowed her head. Seeing this, and not knowing what else to do, Ruby and Yang followed suit.

"And now that Volkmar has finally arrived, we can begin," the Emperor said with a wry grin.

"My apologies, my lord," Volkmar said with another of his grandfatherly grins and a bow, "There was a matter at the front gate that required my attention."

"Sergeant Dakota again?" the Emperor asked.

"Indeed. I shall have to speak with the Commander about her later, but for now, our guests have arrived," he said, gesturing to the girls behind him.

"Very good. Rise, ladies." The three, somewhat color-themed girls rose to their feet, lowering their weapons. "Ozpin, you may begin," he said to the man with the spectacles.

"Yes, my lord," his voice was somewhat soft, but strong and filled with wisdom, "First, let me introduce our guests. On the right, is Lady Weiss Schnee, second daughter of Boris Todbringer of Middenland and Willow Schnee, the Matriarch of House Schnee."

"Ah, so you're Todbringer's girl," the Emperor said with a smile, "I've heard much about you, young Weiss."

"Thank you, my Emperor. Good things, I hope?" she said with a curtsy.

"Only that you are a skilled fighter, having won every tournament you've entered since you were 15, and that you are an equally skilled diplomat. And I see that the former is true considering you wield the Myrtenaster," the Emperor indicated the blade in Weiss's hand, "What do you know about that blade, Young Weiss?"

"Only that it was given to my ancestors by a past Elector Count of Middenland as a symbol of our ascension to the nobility."

"The Myrtenaster is a blade forged by the dwarfs of the Grey Mountains in thanks to the Elector Count of Middenland at the time for his aid against a Greenskin horde," Ruby said, surprising all but Yang, who simply smiled uncomfortably, "It was then given to one Jacques Schnee in recognition of his heroics in the final battle along with a title of nobility and land where Castle Schnee and the city of Atlas now stands."

There was silence in the chamber. Volkmar and the man with greying temples looked at her with raised eyebrows, while the man named Ozpin looked slightly amused, as if he had expected her to answer like that. The Emperor, at first surprised, regained his composure and said, "And who is this well-informed young lady?"

"This," Ozpin said, "Is Ms. Ruby Rose, an adventurer from Patch Village near Helmgart. She is the daughter of former Reiksguard captain Taiyang Xiao Long, who currently resides in Patch and works as a skilled blacksmith. When not on mission for the Adventurer's Guild, she assists her father. She is more popularly known as the Red Reaper of Reikland."

"Truly?" Franz said, wide eyed. When Ozpin nodded, the Emperor himself stood and walked over to Ruby and looked her straight in the eyes. "Ms. Rose," he said, "Please allow me to personally thank you for everything you have done for my homeland, selfless or otherwise." He placed his right hand over his heart and bowed his head to the girl.

"R-really, milord, it was nothing," she said, suddenly springing to a position of attention, "It was my duty and privilege." She then continued rambling before a gauntleted hand came down upon the top of her head, cutting her off and leaving a sizable lump.

"Apologies, my lords, she has tendency to ramble when she gets nervous," Yang said.

"And finally," said Ozpin, "This is Ms. Yang Xiao Long, Ms. Rose's elder sister. She is also a member of the Adventurer's Guild, though not as active as Ms. Rose. She instead had made a name for herself in the fighting pits in Helmgart, where she is the reigning grand champion."

"Going on three years undefeated," Yang said proudly.

"I remember you," the Emperor said with a smile, his eyes narrowing, "I saw one of your matches once while I was inspecting the Helmgart garrison. I lost fifty crowns betting against you."

"The dangers of betting I'm afraid."

The Emperor laughed, "The dangers of betting, indeed. Ozpin, I approve of your choices. You may continue."

"Yes, my lord. Ladies, as I assume you have gathered by now, I am Commander Ozpin, the Emperor's Master of Intelligence. This," he indicated the man with the greying temples, "Is General Ironwood. You've already met Grand Theogonist Volkmar, called the Grim, and the man in the bronze mask is Lord Balthasar Gelt, Supreme Patriarch of the Imperial Colleges of Magic here in Altdorf. Now, you're all probably wondering why you three were summoned here."

"The thought had crossed my mind," said Yang.

"Well, let's put your minds at ease. The Empire has need of you."

The following silence was broken by Ruby. "So, what's the job?" she said.

"Before I begin, I must tell you that everything you are about to hear is absolutely confidential. Nobody outside of those present here may know what you are about to be told, not even your families. Am I understood?"

The three girls nodded, and Ozpin continued. "Approximately three weeks ago, we received word of a dire threat to the eastern provinces of the Empire. Someone is trying to simultaneously cause the collapse of Ostland and the Ostermark. These two provinces are the linchpin of the Empire's defensive line in the event of a northern invasion, as well as providing a relatively safe route to the dwarfs of Karak Kadrin. Their fall cannot occur."

"Who sent the notice?" asked Weiss.

Ozpin looked to the Emperor on his throne, who nodded. Ozpin turned back to the girls and said, "Vlad von Carstein, of the rogue territory of Sylvania."

"What?" Weiss practically yelled.

"Who?" said Ruby and Yang.

"Vlad von Carstein, you dolts!" Weiss said, "The first of the Vampire Counts of Sylvania?" the girls shook their heads, "Started a major civil war five hundred years ago…." Her voice trailed off as she realized what she was saying, "Wait a minute, how can he even be alive, or undead, or whatever the correct term is? History says that he died in the final battle of the first war."

"We don't know how he was revived, only that he has risen, has gained control over half of Sylvania and has claimed Schwartzhafen as his capital." said Ozpin.

"And if he truly is risen again," said Gelt, his mask stifling his voice somewhat, "We can safely assume that someone in Sylvania, most likely Mannfred, has access to at least one of the Nine Books of Nagash."

"Regardless," said Ozpin, "He claims that he will only give further details at a meeting at Schwartzhafen. And that is where you three come in. Your mission is to go to Schwartzhafen as the official Imperial embassy."

The three girls were silent for several minutes as they tried to process what was being asked of them. Again, it was Ruby who broke the silence.

"That's, uh, that's quite a few levels above my usual paygrade."

"I think I agree with that sentiment," said Weiss.

"Question," said Yang, "Why us? Surely there must be more professional or experienced people you could give this to than the daughter of an Elector Count and a couple low-level adventurers?"

"A reasonable question, Ms. Xiao Long," said Ozpin, "The answer, quite frankly, is that we have no other options. Our armies are in the east and south reinforcing our borders while our diplomats are trying to secure alliances or treaties with the dwarfs and elves. You three are our best, only chance." Yang seemed unconvinced.

"Now, Lady Schnee, you will be the chief negotiator at the audience with Von Carstein. You will be empowered to speak on behalf of the Emperor and deliver his terms. They are detailed in this letter, along with your instructions regarding the negotiations," he handed her a folded piece of parchment with the Imperial Seal on one side, "Ms. Rose, Ms. Xiao Long, you will act as her bodyguards for the duration of the journey. You three are also charged with the task of gaining any details regarding the threat to the eastern provinces. Is that understood?' The three girls nodded their understanding.

"Master Ozpin, I assume that whatever means informed you of this meeting included of a list of the counts' own demands," said Weiss.

"You would be correct, Lady Schnee."

"May I know what they were?"

"I'm afraid that is, as Ms. Rose put it, above your paygrade, but regardless you will find out what they were at the summit."

"Very well."

"How will we be getting there?" Ruby asked.

"There is a military convoy leaving tomorrow morning for Fort Haven in Averland. We have arranged for you three to be added to the convoy's guards. They leave tomorrow shortly after dawn. Simply report to the barracks and ask for Captain Carolina. Are there any further questions?" When none of the girls spoke up, Ozpin said, "Good. Before we conclude our business here, we have a few items for you three. My lords?"

Volkmar and Gelt stepped forward. Volkmar went first, his soft, grandfatherly face serious, "Where you three are going is a place of evil and undeath. While I am sure the three of you could easily handle the lesser inhabitants, there are some that may prove to be beyond your skills. To that end, I have had these medallions made for this purpose," he reached into his robes and pulled out three small silver discs and handed them to the girls. Each one was about the size of your palm and each side was embossed with an image of Ghal Maraz with wings coming out of the handle. Volkmar continued, "These medallions are made out of pure dwarven silver and have been personally blessed by me. They will ward off any were-creatures and vampires you come across, though the latter depends on the personal power of said vampire. Do not expect them to work against Von Carstein." He warned.

"And this is for you Lady Schnee," said Gelt, handing her a silver choker with a circular blue gem set in the chain, "Wear this when you meet with Von Carstein. It will allow us to see and hear everything that occurs."

"Yes, sir."

"I believe that concludes our business for the day, ladies." said Ozpin, "You are hereby dismissed."

Ruby and Yang bowed and turned to leave, but Weiss said, "Master Ozpin? Where are we to spend the night until we leave?"

Ozpin looked at her with amusement, "We arranged to get you three rooms at an inn near the barracks. Don't worry, the accomodations should be up to your standards."

"But-"

"That will be all Lady Schnee." said Ozpin, his tone final. Knowing she was beaten, Weiss bowed and followed the sisters out of the throne room. After the girls had left and the door was closed behind them, the Emperor slumped in his throne and put his hand over his eyes.

"I know I said I approved of your selections, Ozpin," he said, "But I still don't fully approve of this course of action. For Sigmar's sake, their only children!"

"I understand, my lord, but as I stated earlier, this is the only course we have." Ozpin said, facing the Emperor, "This kind of negotiation requires someone who has no direct stakes in the outcome and Weiss Schnee is the perfect candidate. If anything, this will simply prove to her father her true worth."

"And what of Ms. Rose?" asked Gelt, "Sending her is a tremendous gambit. Does she even realize her importance?"

"I doubt it. From what Qrow has told me, Tai is still reeling over his wife's disappearance, so I doubt he told his daughters about Ms. Rose's inheritance."

Karl Franz still looked unconvinced. "Sending children to war for us," he said somberly, "Gods forgive us for what we're doing."


	3. Adventures in Altdorf

**Greeting, readers. It is I, Old Wolf Logan, back with another chapter of Smaller Souls and Greater Evil. This chapter is my first attempt at a filler chapter, with more details, more references (one of which requires Chibi knowledge) and a few attempts at exposition. This chapter also contains my first attempt at writing drunk people and hangovers, despite my having never consumed a single drop of alcohol in my life.**

 **Let me know what you all think with a review, and don't forget to follow and favorite.**

 **Once again, a special thanks goes to Fayeree for beta-reading this chapter.**

 **Reviews:**

 **Noob6- Thank you for your review and the compliment. I do plan on having the group interact with elves and dwarves when I can fit them into the story and after I figure out how they would interact with humans. Lizardmen is a little tricky, since they mostly see outsiders as food. And worry not, Blake will be making her appearance soon enough.**

 **Disclaimer: The following is a non-profit fan-fiction. RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth LLC, and Warhammer fantasy Battles is owned Games Workshop Group, PLC. Please keep in mind that certain details will change to keep with the canon of both universes.**

Smaller Souls and Greater Evil

Chapter 2- Encounters in Altdorf

"I can't believe I have to stay at an inn, of all places" Weiss said in a huff as she walked towards the front door of the palace.

"First time, princess?" said Yang with a smirk.

Weiss looked at her coldly, "I'm not a princess, so don't call me that."

"Well, what would you like us to call you?" asked Ruby.

Hearing the sincerity in the girl's voice, Weiss's face softened somewhat. "Well, I would prefer you call me Lady Schnee, but since it seems we're going to be spending a fair amount of time together, I suppose Weiss will do for now."

"Well, Weiss, I'm Ruby, and this is my older sister, Yang," she said holding out her hand for the other girl to shake.

Weiss took the other girl's hand, looking her up and down. "So you're the Reikland Reaper? Not quite what I was expecting." Hearing how her words sounded, she immediately felt embarrassed. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

"Don't worry," Ruby chuckled, "I get that all the time. I'm just surprised you've heard of me all the way in Middenland. I've never even been that far north."

"My father splits his time between my home in Atlas, his home in Middenheim, and here in Altdorf. He spends a lot of his off-time in taverns with his men, so he hears some of the rumors that float around."

"Sounds about right," said Yang, "In our field, taverns are the best place to get intelligence. Rumors tend to be more than just gossip-"

"Why is your sister staring at me?" Weiss interrupted. Yang looked at her sister and, like Weiss had said, Ruby was staring at her. More specifically at the sword on her waist. Rolling her eyes, Yang slapped the girl upside the back of her head, bringing her back to reality.

"Sorry about that. She tends to be a bit of a maniac when it comes to weapons." Yang apologized.

"Can you blame me?" Ruby asked, "The Myrtenaster is a legendary piece of craftsmanship. The only things that can even compete are the Runefangs!"

"Then why don't you try asking if you can take a look instead of spacing out every time you see a new weapon?"

"Yes, mom," Ruby said sarcastically, "So, Weiss, is it alright if I take a look at your sword?"

Weiss thought for a moment before she answered. "Alright," she said, drawing the sword from its sheath, "Just be careful with it."

Ruby's eyes lit up as she took the blade and began examining it closely. She held it before her and looked it up and down. "Lightweight, but I can practically feel the strength of the metal. Definitely dwarven work, though I've never heard of them making any kind of blade this thin," she said as she moved up to the guard, "Interesting guard design. There looks to be some kind of rotating series of barrels integrated into it and this bit here," she indicted a small circular hole near the blade jutting out slightly from the guard, "Appears to be some kind of barrel. Just a guess, but I think that this blade is designed to double as a short-range pistol." She looked closely at the blade and said, "There are runes worked into the blade. And something else." She frowned and inspected the blade as close as possible. Suddenly, her eyes widened in realization. "Gromril," she said.

"What? Are you sure?" said Yang.

"Almost absolutely." said Ruby, who was now holding the blade almost reverently.

"Hold on," said Weiss, "What's gromril?"

"Star metal." Ruby said "The toughest metal in the known world, and only the dwarfs have the knowledge of how to work it. It is said that weapons and armor made from gromril will last forever." she handed the sword back to Weiss carefully. "This is my first time ever laying eyes on something made from the stuff. I think I can die happy now."

Weiss took back her weapon, a little bit confused and disturbed at the same time. She looked at Yang who simply shrugged. "I told you," she said, "She's a bit of a weapon nut."

The girls stood in silence for a time until Yang spoke up. "Changing the subject entirely," she said, "We better fetch our horses and start thinking about supplies before we head to the inn."

"Right," Ruby agreed, "We didn't think we'd be on the road for this long, so we had better stock up."

"What are you two talking about? Can't we just get supplies from the convoy?" Weiss asked.

The sisters looked at each other and turned back to Weiss. "This is your first time doing something like this, isn't?" asked Yang.

Weiss nodded and Yang placed her arm on her shoulder, pulling her along down the hall. "Come, my little newbie adventurer, and learn from a master." She said, "Rubes, inform her while I go find out where they're keeping our horses." And with that she ran to the nearest guard.

"What am I missing?" Weiss asked Ruby, who started walking along side her.

"Between me and Yang, I'm the one with the most actual adventuring experience, so this is kind of my wheelhouse. What we mean is that we only packed enough supplies and money for a roundtrip journey between Altdorf and our hometown of Patch." Ruby explained.

"Hey guys, we gotta go this way," Yang called.

Ruby gave her a wave of affirmation before continuing, "Since we're gonna be on the road for a week at least, we'll need to purchase some extra stuff. I have most of the survival equipment we'll need on me, but we will need to buy emergency rations, fresh water sacks, tents and bedrolls, and anything else we might need."

"But can't we find all of that with the caravan?" Weiss asked with a little exasperation.

"Maybe, but in my experience, it's best to be ready at all times."

"'In your experience?' Just how long have you been doing this adventurer thing for?" Weiss asked.

"Hmm, I've kind of lost track. I started off helping out my Uncle Qrow with local jobs as part of my training. Once I hit seventeen, I started doing more solo local jobs along with jobs in Talabacland, the Wasteland, and a few as far out as Bretonnia, but those were on a larger scale, so I was put into groups by the Guild."

They continued discussing Ruby's career until they had reached the stable. Inside, Chestnut was resting next to Bumblebee who grew excited to see her owner. Across from Chestnut was a snow-white horse who seemed almost out of place among the other horses. Though it looked somewhat annoyed by Bumblebee's exuberance, it seemed to radiate an aura of grace and majesty even when almost stationary.

"Bee! Bee! Settle down, I've only been gone an hour!" Yang said, trying to calm down the yellow mare, "I'm sorry about this. She doesn't do well in confined spaces because of how much energy she has."

Ruby approached Chestnut and began to stroke her neck, waking her up. "Hey girl, time to get going," she said. Chestnut huffed, almost groaned, closed her eyes and turned away from Ruby in annoyance. "Hey don't be like that. Look, it's just gonna be another fifteen or so minutes and then you can rest all day. I'll even throw in this," she said, pulling an apple out of a pouch on her belt and showing it to her horse. Immediately, the horses eyes widened and she sprung to attention, ready to be saddled. Ruby laughed as she put the apple back in its pouch.

"One's hyperactive, the other is easily bribed. Your horses really are strange creatures." said Weiss, walking over to the white mare.

"This one's yours, I take it," said Ruby.

"Yes. Her name is Stardust. My grandmother gave her to me when I turned sixteen. Supposedly, she comes from elven stock, but we have never been able to prove it."

"Knowing the elves' reputation, I'm not surprised by that." Yang said, stilling trying to calm down Bumblebee.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Weiss asked.

"Well, this is just what I've heard from the garrison back in Helmgart, but the elves are generally considered high and mighty, stick-up-their-ass dicks," she explained as she struggled to set the bit and bridle on her steed.

"Yang, swear jar." Ruby scolded.

"So," Yang continued, ignoring her sister, "Of course they would never admit that a mere human family- noble, royal, or otherwise- would ever have a horse descended from their oh-so-holy homeland. Dammit Bee, settle down!" she almost yelled at the horse. This caused the horse to go even crazier in her stall.

"Alright, alright, I get it." she turned to Ruby and Weiss, "I'm sorry guys, go to the inn ahead of me." She said before she climbed up into the saddle, "I'm gonna head out of the city and let Bee run a little so she can burn some of this excess energy."

"Sure thing sis. See ya later, be safe," Ruby called as Yang led Bumblebee out of the stables and kicked her into a full gallop headed toward the north gate, away from the assumed market and residential districts.

"So weird," Weiss said under her breath.

"You're telling me. Can you believe I have to live with that?" Ruby said, jokingly.

"I feel worse for your horse. You only have to deal with the rider."

"It's actually not as bad as you might think. Sure, Chestnut and Bumblebee share a stable, but most of the time, Bumblebee roams as she pleases while she's in Patch."

The girls, walked their horses out onto the street, passing by the guards they had met that morning. York bid them a good day and waved, but the one called Dakota simply scowled. The sun had fully risen and the sounds of the bustling city could be heard coming from the north. From their vantage point, the girls could easily see what appeared to be a small fort in the northwest corner of the city, conjoined to the city walls.

"Guess that's the barracks that Ozpin guy mentioned," Ruby said, pointing at the building.

"So I guess we just go from inn to inn until we find someone who has reservations for three ordered by the either the military or the Emperor?" Weiss suggested.

"Sounds good to me," Ruby said, drawing her scythe from her back so she could control it better as she rode. She tapped Chestnut's sides with her feet, urging the horse forward at a trot.

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The journey took longer than expected, taking them over twenty minutes and over a large bridge before they reached the barracks. The gate was open, allowing them to see the large caravan they would be escorting preparing to leave the next day. Men and women were busy packing some of the wagons full of crates, while most others were left unattended.

"You know," Weiss said, "We are here already. Maybe we should check in with that Carolina person Master Ozpin told us about?"

Ruby considered it, "We should probably try to find the inn first."

"I think I see one over there," Weiss said, pointing to a building off to their right. It was a large, multi-story corner building with a sign out front that said 'Junior's' underneath a large bear's head. The girls dismounted and tied their horses to the post in front. The inside was large, the first floor serving as a tavern and the rooms on the upper floors. The tavern was sparsely populated, only a single table was occupied and a few men sat at the bar. The girls walked up to the bar, where a broad shouldered man in black and white clothes with short black hair and a matching beard was drying a tankard.

"Welcome to Junior's," the man said, looking at his new patrons with a neutral face, "How can I help you?"

"Hi, I'm Ruby Rose, and this is Weiss Schnee. Would you happen to have reservations for three here? We were told to come here by a man named Ozpin."

"Names aren't ringin' any bells, but this Ozpin guy, did he have messy grey hair and dark glasses?" Ruby nodded, "Yeah, I remember him, so I assume you're my one-nighters? I thought there were supposed to be three of you?"

"Our third is out at the moment, but she'll be back soon, hopefully." Said Weiss.

"Alright, let me show you to your rooms." The man said, stepping out from behind the bar. He led the girls up to the third floor of the inn, pulling out a set of keys as they walked down the hallway. "Unfortunately, I only have two rooms available, so one of you is gonna have to share with the third."

"That's fine." Ruby said, "My sister and I share a room back home in Patch, so we'll be fine. Sound good Weiss?"

"Sure," the white-haired girl replied. She walked into her room and placed her rucksack on her bed and Myrtenaster against the nightstand. She turned to the bartender with a death glare and said, "That sword had better be in that same position when I get back."

"Message received." The bartender said, staring off into space, imagining the possible outcomes. Ruby just started laughing.

"Good." Weiss said leaving the man standing there, dumbstruck, "Come on Ruby, let's go check in."

Thankfully, the barracks and inn were near a marketplace, so their errands would be finished quickly. The girls walked over to one of the guards standing outside the barracks. "Excuse me," Ruby said, "Is there a Captain Carolina here?"

"Who's asking?" the guard asked back, sounding somewhat irritable.

A man in yellow-trimmed black armor came up behind the man and placed his hand on his shoulder, "Easy Chuck," the man said, "No harm done. Here, why don't you take the rest of the day off? I'll cover the rest of your guard duty."

The guard sighed and looked at the man behind him gratefully. "Yes, lieutenant. Thank you."

Chuck the guard walked back into the barracks while the lieutenant took his place. "Sorry about that ladies," he said, "Chuck's had it rough the past couple weeks. Hasn't been able to see his family much. You said you were looking for Carolina?"

"Yes," said Weiss, "We're going to be a part of the caravan that's leaving for Fort Haven tomorrow, along with one other who's not here right now. We were told to report to her."

"Unfortunately, Carolina is busy with briefings and meetings all day, so you won't see her until tomorrow. I'm her first lieutenant though, so reporting to me is just as good. Name's Washington, but you can call me Wash. I assume you two will staying nearby for the night?"

"Yeah. We'll be staying at Junior's, just across the way."

"Excellent. That place is pretty popular amongst the men on their off-time. I'll send someone for you when it's time to leave tomorrow."

"Thank you Lieutenant Washington. Now if you'll excuse us, we have some last-minute supplies to buy."

"Sure thing. See you two tomorrow."

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By the time Yang had arrived back in the city, it was close to dusk. Bumblebee had more energy stored up than usual, so it took her running around the fields outside Altdorf for the better part of the day to get her to calm down. Then it took another half an hour asking around the city if anyone had seen Ruby or Weiss before she finally came upon a corner inn near the northwest wall. She tied Bumblebee to the post outside while she went in to check for the two girls.

The inside of the inn was packed with patrons, most of whom were soldiers that were probably winding down after a long day of work. It took her a minute before she found whom she sought; Ruby and Weiss were at the bar, digging into large, good-looking meals. Well, Ruby was at least. Weiss was using actual utensils to eat and was drinking from a wine glass. Ruby was using mainly her hands and a spoon and drank from a tankard.

"Hey, sis!" Yang said, taking the empty seat next to her sister.

"About time you showed up," Ruby said, her mouth full of food.

"Care to repeat that, this time without food in your mouth?"

"What she means is that we were beginning to wonder if you were actually going to show up." Weiss said as Ruby took a large swig from her tankard.

"Sorry, Bumblebee had more energy than usual." She said, signaling that she was ready to order something, "We must have gone around this place at least five times before she even stopped for a drink. So, what'd I miss?"

Ruby set down her tankard and let out a loud belch, drawing the attention of several patrons, as well as some applause from some of the more hammered soldiers. "Nothing much. We checked in with the second-in-command of the convoy we're escorting tomorrow, Weiss threatened the bartender when he showed us our rooms, and we bought some extra supplies, along with a bedroll and tent since a certain someone forgot to bring one." Ruby looked at Weiss.

"Is it my fault I've never done something this?"

"Little bit," Yang said, "But I guess it's to be expected from a scion of nobility."

"Hmph. Can I get a refill on my wine over here?"

"Sure thing," said the bartender, "And what will you be hav-" He stopped the second he saw Yang, a look of horror etched on his face. "Oh, Gods, no."

"Oh, hey, Junior. It's been a while. How're you doing?"

"You mean since you destroyed my place at Helmgart? Dandy." The man now known as Junior said sarcastically and not without a bit of venom.

"Hey, your guys started that and you know it. Maybe if they hadn't been so handsy, you'd still have that little dive."

"Yang, what did you do?" Ruby asked, wide-eyed.

"Remember when I got detained by the local garrison a few years back? Back when I was still building my rep in the pits?" Yang asked.

"Yeah…"

"Well, the reason for that was I accidentally-"

"Accidentally nothing!" Junior interjected, "Okay, I'll admit, the guys in question were pretty loaded at the time, I take full responsibility for that, but you're the one who started fighting them and destroyed my tavern in the process."

"They touched something they really shouldn't have."

"What part of her could they have possibly touched to make her destroy a building?" Weiss quietly asked Ruby as Yang and Junior started arguing.

"Her hair." Ruby said with a grin, shaking her head in exasperation.

"Her hair?" Weiss said incredulously.

"Yeah, rule number one concerning Yang; 'Never. Touch. The hair.' Trust me, you'll live longer."

"You know, Junior, considering how well this place is doing compared to your last place, you should be thanking me."

Junior sighed, defeated, "You have a point there. This place is bringing in more crowns in a week than I ever saw in a month back in Helmgart."

"So, truce?"

"Sure. But, if you break anything, you're paying for it."

"Ha. The only thing I plan on breaking tonight is my drinking record."

"Yeah, no," Ruby said, "Cut her off at six."

"Buzzkill."

"We have to get moving early tomorrow and I don't want to have to deal with Hangover Yang. No more than six."

"Yes, _dad._ " Yang teased, "Hey, Junior, whatever she ordered, I'll take one as well."

"Sure thing."

"So, Weiss, neither of us have been to Middenland before," Yang said, trying to make conversation while her food was made, "What's it like?"

"It's a large province, mostly covered by the forests of Drakwald and Laurelorn, the latter of which is home to an enclave of elves. Unfortunately, most of the denizens of the forests are openly hostile to us, but that simply makes us a largely martial people. The Lord Todbringer rules from his capital of Middenheim, which also serves as the holy city of the Cult of Ulric."

"And that's where you live?" Ruby asked.

"No, I live with my family in our ancestral home city of Atlas."

"So why don't you guys live with your dad?"

Weiss paused in her eating, lowering her knife and fork, "It's… complicated."

Ruby looked to Yang, as her food arrived. The blonde shook her head, silently telling her sister not to press the issue, before digging into her meal.

"Changing the subject," Yang said, "If you're Todbringer's kid, does that mean you're a worshipper of Ulric? No judgement, of course."

"What makes you assume that?" Weiss replied.

"Well, it's not exactly a secret that Boris Todbringer is an open worshipper of the Cult of Ulric ever since he lost the last election for the Imperial Throne. I just figured that since you're his daughter, you might have the same faith as him."

"Actually, he never once forced me into something I didn't want to do. He taught me the basics of the faith, of course, but he agreed with my mother in allowing me to choose who I worship."

"He sounds like Dad, doesn't he?" said Ruby to Yang.

"Yeah," Yang replied, "In any case he sounds like a good man."

Weiss smiled, "He is. The best man I've ever met." She said softly.

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The girls turned in for the night by the time Yang had reached her fourth tankard. They had even gotten Weiss to switch from wine to ale, though this did not last. Ruby could tell that Weiss was tipsy about halfway through her first tankard. By the time she had finished her second, she was so drunk her speech was slurred. Ruby helped her to her room and stayed to make sure she actually fell asleep before she joined her sister in their room.

Yang had divested herself of her armor and was laying on her bed, her head resting on her heads. Ruby began to do the same when Yang spoke up.

"Hey Rubes, did that Ozpin guy seem off to you?"

"How do you mean?"

"I don't know what it is, but I get the feeling that he hasn't told us everything about what we're supposed to do, and you know I don't trust people like that."

"And, naturally, you waste time that could be spent sleeping trying to figure out some ulterior motive."

"Ruby, something about this doesn't feel right. I can't place it, but my gut is telling me that this is gonna get bigger. Much bigger."

"So basically, proceed with caution?"

"Extreme caution."

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The sun was beginning to rise when the door to Ruby's room burst open, causing Ruby to fall out of bed and merely roused Yang from her slumber. Weiss was standing in the doorway, her white hair let down and wearing only a nightie.

"Ruby Rose~" she said angrily.

"Wha? Weiss? What are you doing? What time is it?"

"It's time for you to die you dunce!" she yelled, practically shaking in rage.

"What? Why?"

"You got me drunk, you little, red-"

"SHUT UP!" Yang yelled, throwing one of her pillows at Weiss, hitting her in the face. Not expecting the sudden attack, she was knocked flat on her back.

"To be fair, by the time you started drinking ale, you had already downed three glasses of wine." Ruby said before she went back to cowering behind her bed. Yang groaned, rubbing the sides of her head, her eyes tightly shut.

"Hangover?" Ruby asked.

"Nnnnn. Too early for loud." Yang replied.

"I'll take that as a yes. Start getting ready, while I help Weiss."

"Mmmm," Yang replied, falling back on her bed.

Ruby walked over to Weiss and helped her back to her feet. She put one of the girls' arms over her shoulder and helped her back to her bed. "How're you feeling?"

"Ugh," Weiss said, holding a hand up to her mouth, "Tired, extremely thirsty and a little nauseous."

"Just a hangover, you'll live. At least now we know not to let you mix wine and ale, and that you might be a bit of a lightweight."

"M'not a lightweight."

"If you say so. Get ready to leave. I'll grab you and Yang some extra water for the trip."

Ruby returned to her room and changed into her black and red armor, which consisted of a metal breastplate over a mail hauberk, spaulders, vambraces, plated gloves, a combat skirt, greaves, boots and her specially-made hood. The metal was all made by her father, who used a technique that made the metal as strong as steel, but as light as leather. Minutes later, the girls were joined by Weiss who was wearing clothes similar to what she was wearing the day before, but with the addition of a white plate breastplate, vambraces, and greaves, and a white bolero jacket with a red lining.

"All set?" Ruby asked.

"Yes, but could you speak a bit quieter?"

"Suck it up, princess." Yang said grumpily, "It's your own fault you got a hangover, so just deal with it."

"Oh, hey Pot, name's Kettle. Have we met?" said Weiss with a small scowl.

"Okay~" Ruby said before Yang could say anything, "Let's get going shall we?"

"Yeah, whatever."

The barracks was the most active part of the area. The covered wagons that made up the caravan were arranged into rows of five and men were busily running between them, double checking that everything was where it was supposed to be. Overseeing it all from the second story of the administration building, were Lieutenant Washington and a red-haired woman in aqua plate armor over black chain mail.

"Lieutenant!" Ruby called, getting the man's attention.

"Ladies! Glad I didn't have to send a runner for you." He said, making his way down to greet them, followed by the red-head, "This is Captain Carolina, the one in charge of the convoy."

"And you three are?"

"Ruby Rose."

"Weiss Schnee, daughter of Elector-Count Boris Todbringer of Middenland."

"Yang Xiao Long, Ruby's older sister."

"Captain, these three are the last-minute additions Major Port told us about."

"Right. Well, just because you're on an official mission, don't think you won't be carrying your weight."

"I'd be insulted otherwise." Yang said with a wink.

This earned a small smile from Carolina and Washington. "Well you're all clearly fighters." Said Carolina, "What else can you do?"

"Well, I'm pretty handy with a forge, so I can make repairs to or replace certain items if need be." Ruby chirped.

"Not to mention that you're pretty handy in the kitchen. I, on the other hand, am pretty good with basic first aid. Anyone gets hurt, I can patch them up alright." said Yang.

"Good, we could always use an extra medic on these trips. And you?" Carolina asked Weiss.

"Well, I am rather skilled with magic." Weiss said proudly.

"What college?"

"Actually, I didn't attend the colleges of magic. My magic is ice-based, and is only known by the members of my family, House Schnee."

"Oh well." Carolina said with a shrug, "I guess we'll put you on cooking duty for the trip. Wash, have them report to 3rd platoon."

"You got it, boss." Washington said, "3rd platoon will be in last row of wagons. Ask for Lieutenant Church."

"Yes sir." Ruby said with an exaggerated salute. As they walked to the back row, Ruby looked over to her sister, "Nice job with the act sis. Real professional."

"Shut up and get me somewhere I can sleep." Yang said grumpily.

"Agreed." Said Weiss, holding her stomach.

In front of the middle rear-most wagon stood two soldiers, one in sky-blue plate armor, the other in plate armor of a similar color to Carolina's. They seemed to be in the middle of a rather heated discussion when the girls walked up.

"I'm telling you, man, there is no way we are gonna be able to pick up chicks with this shit job." Said the one in the aqua-colored plate.

"I seriously can't believe you're still talking about that. Dude, you're a soldier. Get yourself a couple scars, and the girls will be lining up." The one in sky-blue armor said.

"Oh, you're right. Chicks love scars."

"Depends on where it is and how you got it." Yang interjected.

Ignoring her sister, Ruby asked, "Are either of you Lieutenant Church?"

"That's me. And you are?"

"I'm Ruby. This is my sister, Yang, and this is Weiss. We're guards for the convoy and were told to report to you."

"Well, you can call me Church. This is Tucker, and the idiot over there talking to the horse is Caboose. We're 3rd platoon."

"I guess we're riding with you then." said Yang.

"I got something you can ride, baby. Bow-chicka-bow-wow." Said Tucker. Almost immediately, Yang nailed him with a right hook, landing him face-first in the ground.

"Sorry. That was mostly instinct." Yang said, genuinely.

Church was laughing, surprise mixed with actual mirth. "I think I'm starting to like you, blondie. If he tries something like that again, feel free to hit him. Just don't kill him."

"Before, we leave, Church," Ruby said, "My sister and her friend are still kind of hungover from last night, so would it be possible for them to catch a few more hours of sleep during the trip?"

"Whatever, kid, just make sure they don't puke all over the inside of the wagon." Church said.

"Alright kids, saddle up!" Carolina yelled, getting everyone's attention. "1st platoon, you're on point with me. Wash, you and 2nd platoon take the middle. Church, 3rd platoon has rearguard. Let's get going people, I wanna reach Grunburg by mid-day and Nuln by nightfall."

The wagons began heading out the gates of the barracks and through the southern city gates. Yang and Weiss had quickly fallen asleep in the back of the last wagon in the convoy with a bucket and several water skins between them while Ruby had tied Stardust and Bumblebee to the back of said wagon. Ruby rode Chestnut alongside the wagon containing her sister and new companion, Crescent Rose at her side, ready for anything. As she rode, she looked up and began to daydream, the clear blue sky filling her with hopes and anticipation of adventures to come.


	4. On the Road, Part 1

**Hello all, Old Wolf Logan here with the newest chapter of Smaller Souls and Greater Evil, and probably the only one to be published in a different state. This chapter was pretty fun to write in certain places and also marks the end of my pre-written chapters. From here on out, everything will be written as often as I can, so don't expect weekly updates. Also, I have noticed that most authors do notes at the beginning and end of chapters, so I think I'll jump on that trend as well.**

 **And now, enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: The following is a non-profit fan-fiction. RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth LLC, and Warhammer fantasy Battles is owned Games Workshop Group, PLC. Please keep in mind that certain details will change to keep with the canon of both universes.**

Souls and Greater Evil

Chapter 3- On the Road, Part 1

The caravan wound its way through the forests outside of Altdorf for most of the morning, moving slowly to keep the horses somewhat fresh in case they were attacked. Ruby grew bored quickly and tried (and failed) to strike up a conversation with a female soldier with blonde hair and pitch-black plate armor who was driving the wagon that held Yang and Weiss while they slept. Seeing that holding a conversation with the soldier was hopeless, she fell back dejectedly to check on her companions as they slept.

Both girls had fallen fast asleep despite the excessively bumpy ride. Yang was lying on her back, snoring, with her right arm outstretched and her left hand over her stomach. Weiss had fallen asleep on her side in a near-fetal position, resting her head on her rucksack and keeping a waterskin within easy reach. Ruby smiled, amazed that Weiss was able to put up with Yang's snoring. Very few people could claim to be able to sleep through it, Ruby among them. But then, she had slept in the same room as Yang all her life, so she was naturally immune.

"Don't worry about her none," said a voice from behind her. She turned around and saw Tucker sitting at the helm of the wagon behind her.

"What?" Ruby asked.

"Tex. Don't worry about her. She's kind of a bitch to everybody. Then again, she is Church's girlfriend."

Ruby frowned at the word 'bitch.' She didn't really like people using profanity in their speech, at least not around her. She considered having him donate to her swear jar but decided against.

"Thanks, I guess. I'm not exactly the best at making small talk with people I've only just met." She said a little sheepishly.

"It could be worse. You could be talking to Caboose right now." Tucker said with a grimace. "So, there's something I've been meaning to ask you."

"What's that?"

"Are you the legendary Reaper of Reikland?"

Ruby rolled her eyes. So now she was a legend? She was only a small-time adventurer and a nineteen-year-old girl. "Yes, I am. I suppose you've heard of me then."

"You kidding me? There isn't a soul in Reikland that hasn't heard of you. Is it true you killed the greenskin warlord Gitsplitter by yourself?"

That took Ruby back. It was one of her first missions without Uncle Qrow backing her up at all times. She was seventeen, newly minted when the Greenskin tribe known as the Skullsplitters descended from the Grey Mountains south of the Reikland. They pillaged and sacked their way north into the Reikwald Forest. They attempted a small assault on Patch, only to be repulsed by first a small militia, in which Ruby, Yang, their father and uncle had fought in, then a contingent of Reiksguard knights. Few casualties were sustained, but it was enough to motivate every able-bodied citizen to pick up the sword, including the local adventurers. Even Taiyang, after he had furnished everyone in need with armor and weapons, had once more picked up his old Reiksguard gear to lead the militia. They had linked up with other town militias and joined an expeditionary force of professional soldiers sent to deal with the menace. The battle had been long and fierce, but eventually the Reiklanders had prevailed, with Ruby unknowingly claiming the head of the orc warlord in single combat.

She grinned at the memory of the fight with that massive orc. "Yeah, I remember him. He was slower than molasses in the middle of winter. Too much muscle, heavy armor and weapons. He was a tough bugger though."

"You talk about it so casually." Tucker said, a little awe-struck.

They continued like that for a few hours, trading stories about battles she had fought, and the places he had seen since becoming a soldier. As they rounded a hill, and the village of Grunburg came into view, Tucker asked, "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure." Ruby replied, having taken a liking to the dirty-minded soldier. He wasn't so bad once you talked to him a little. In fact, he kind of reminder her of Yang, only instead of bad puns, he preferred innuendo.

"Well, it's just that in all the stories I've heard about you fighting orcs, or beastmen, you don't seem to hesitate to kill them, but when you fight against other humans, you seem to take deliberate steps to avoid killing them. Why?"

Ruby's smile turned into a grimace. "My mom always taught me that, no matter how far gone a person seems, there's always a spark of goodness in them. They just lost track of it."

"Okay, that's explains one thing. But what about the other? What about the greenskins and the beastmen?"

"I've seen first-hand that there is no goodness in them. The only things they understand are death and destruction, sometimes simply for the sake of it. They have no concept of goodness as we understand it, and if they do, it is twisted beyond all repair."

They traveled in silence until they reached Grunburg, a small village Ruby knew was only a few hours ride from Patch. Grunburg was the site of the most fertile fields in the entire Empire, with most of the nation's grain supply coming from the annual harvest, along with vegetables and several forms of fruit. Even in the middle of summer, men and women could be seen working the fields, inspecting the progress of the crop in preparation for the fall harvest.

"Best wake your sister and her friend. We're gonna be loading up these wagons in a bit." Tucker said.

"No need," came a voice from the wagon. Yang stretched her body awake and quickly sat up in the wagon. She yawned, saying "I've been basically awake for a while now." She reached over to Weiss and started shaking her shoulder. "Hey, time to wake up princess."

Weiss groaned, annoyed at being woken up, "How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that?"

"Might as well accept it." Ruby said, "Once Yang finds a good nickname for someone, she tends to stick to it, with very few exceptions."

As the caravan pulled into the town square, Carolina was already talking to a group of older town residents, most likely the local mayor and elders, Ruby thought. After she finished speaking with the leaders, Carolina turned around and said, "Alright people, let's get those carts loaded up. Church, you've got supervision duty. Make sure everything your platoon is carrying is accounted for. Everyone else, take a break. We leave as soon as the wagons are loaded."

"So what kind of cargo are we taking on?" Yang asked.

"Food mostly. Fort Haven is in a part of Averland that isn't great for food production, outside of raw meat, but it does have the facilities to produce certain items if given the raw materials first." Church started explaining, "So, once a year, it gets a large grain shipment, the bulk of which comes from here. We're also delivering the pay for the farmers here."

"And after this, the next stop is Nuln?" Ruby asked.

"Yeah. We'll be taking on weapons, ammunition, and a few pieces of artillery. But since there's so much stuff we have to take on, we'll have to spend the night."

Ruby's eyes lit up at the mention of going to Nuln.

"Ruby, no." Yang said, seeing the glimmer in her sister's eyes.

"Aww, c'mon, Yang."

"No."

"But why not?"

"Because we can't afford to risk you getting lost thanks to your obsession." Yang deadpanned.

"What am I missing here?" Weiss asked.

"Remember how I told you that Ruby is a bit of a weapon nut?"

"Yeah."

"Well, Nuln is a major industrial center for the Empire- "

"I know that. What do you think I am, some back-wood provincial?"

Ruby and Yang simply stared at Weiss for a few seconds, neither saying a word. Realizing her mistake, Weiss apologized sheepishly.

"As I was saying," Yang continued, "There are dozens of foundries and forges in Nuln alone, churning out huge numbers of weapons every day, according to our dad." Weiss still looked somewhat confused about Yang's point. "Think of it this way: if Ruby gets excited just looking at a new or interesting weapon, then getting to see the stuff Nuln makes is like a wet dream to her."

"Yang!" Ruby whined, as Weiss started turning beet red. Yang was laughing her head off as she got out of the wagon and mounted Bumblebee.

"Sorry sis, elder sibling's prerogative to embarrass the younger!"

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Approaching from the north, Wissenland's provincial capital of Nuln was a splendid sight. The gleaming- white twenty-foot-high stone walls of the city were bristling with cannons and bolt throwers. Behind them, a hill rose that was covered in large houses made of the same white stone as the walls, and above them all, sat what could only be the massive Electoral palace, which also was dotted with openings for cannons and bolt throwers. But all this was immediately contrasted by the plumes of black smoke rising from behind the hill. As the group approached the west gate, a bell tolled, causing the civilians to run for cover. The answer why came soon after as the roar of cannon fire could be heard coming from within the city.

"That'll be the academy practicing." said Carolina, who had been riding with 3rd platoon since they had left Grunburg, ostensibly to make sure the cargo was undamaged.

"The academy?" asked Weiss.

"Yeah, the Imperial Gunnery School. Anyone who wishes to serve in the artillery regiments goes there to learn how to do it properly."

"Yeah, yeah, but where are the forges?" Ruby asked impatiently, "I wanna see how the greatest industrial city in the Empire does things."

"Forget it Ruby." Yang scolded.

"We need to worry about lodgings for the night, anyway." said Weiss, "I'm sure a town of this size has an inn somewhere."

"The only problem is coin." Ruby said, putting her chin between her thumb and index finger. "The bigger the town, the pricier the inns get. There is one alternative though."

"What's that?" Weiss asked.

"The Guild." said Yang, as the rest of the caravan moved into the main road leading from the west gate.

"You mean the Adventurer's Guild?"

"Yeah, it's really our best option right now." Ruby said, "Yang, go ahead and see if you can get directions to the Guild Hall. I'll let Carolina know about our plans."

"Alright, Little Miss Reaper, explain." Weiss said as Yang rode off.

"Well, as you should know, the Adventurer's Guild is a very large organization." Ruby said as the girls walked to the front of the caravan, "It has no defined headquarters, but instead has branch guild halls stretching from Kislev in the north, to as far south as Araby and as far east as Cathay and Nippon. To help guild members who are strapped for cash, they offer lodgings for up to a week, during which time, they must look for a job, either local, or one of the quests the guild provides."

"And if they don't?"

"Well, a few things could happen, from what I've heard." Ruby said, "First-time offenders will often be forced into a job whether they like it or not. I've even heard that if this happens enough times, you can get ejected from the guild entirely."

Ruby approached Carolina, who was busy directing traffic as the convoy stopped in a large plaza. Men were already loading up the first wagons with large crates and barrels, while several cannons were being prepared to be loaded into the sturdier wagons by cranes.

"Captain?" Ruby said, getting the commander's attention.

"Yes, Ms. Rose?"

"My companions and I are short on funds, so we will be staying the night at the local Adventurer's Guild hall. When will the convoy be leaving tomorrow?"

"About the same time as this morning. We should be able to reach Fort Haven within a few days, good fortunes permitting."

"Got it. We'll meet you at the south gate tomorrow morning."

Yang met them in the plaza as the two finished speaking with Carolina.

"I have a location on the Guild Hall. It's just down the main road here, next to a bridge that leads to Aver Island." Yang said.

"Alright, now we just need to figure out what to do with her." Ruby said, looking at Weiss.

"Me?" she said, confused again.

"Yeah," Yang chimed in, "The guild usually only provides shelter to guild members, so your only real option is to register with the guild. Unless you've got more crowns on you to pay for an inn."

"It might be possible for them to make an exception for a single night." Ruby countered.

"We'll have to see but keep your options in mind Weiss. Remember, the invite to the guild is always open." Yang said.

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The guild hall was a large two-story building that stood along the banks of the River Reik as it turned into the Aver. The inside was far grander than the exterior let on. Banners from each province of the Empire lined the walls. Down the middle of the hall were a pair of long dining tables where several adventurers were heartily digging into meals and trading stories of their exploits. On the far side of the hall was a bar with an adjoined common area and a kitchen in back. The south wall was covered in a number of small forges, several of which were being operated by either professional blacksmiths in the employ of the guild or adventurers with enough knowledge and skill to maintain their gear. On the opposing wall was a large quest board that was divided between local quests and ones that took one farther afield. Next to it was a shop that sold most of the necessary goods adventurers used. The second story was lined with what Ruby could only assume were bedrooms and great chandeliers hung from the ceiling. On each wall were roaring fireplaces, providing extra light and welcome warmth.

As the party entered, they were approached by an attendant, a pale-skinned girl with brown hair and eyes. She wore a short-cut brown jacket with gold spaulders over a black shirt with vambraces that matched her spaulders, gold-trimmed brown shorts over black leggings and a dark brown beret with a stitched-heart emblem on it. She seemed very keen that the beret stay where it was.

"Hello," she said with a slight, but noticeable, accent, "Welcome to the Adventurer's Guild, Nuln Branch. My name is Velvet. How can I help you today?"

"Hi, we were hoping to rent some rooms for the night." Ruby said.

"Alright, I just need you to provide proof of membership. First, your marks, if you don't mind."

Ruby and Yang each took off the armor from their right arms and displayed a tattoo on their forearms; Ruby had a stylized rose, while Yang's was of a burning heart.

"Alright," the attendant said, pulling out a small stone tablet, "Now simply place your right hand on this tablet to confirm your identity."

"This is new." Yang commented as Ruby followed the girls' orders.

"Yeah, it's something that was put into place when Lady Goodwitch was made the Grand Master of the Guild. She sent out these tablets to every guild hall, and each one is connected to a master tablet, which is kept in her guild hall in Couronne, in Bretonnia. The master tablet is able to keep a complete roster of every guild member, along with the details of all contracts currently available."

"I guess that means this Lady Goodwitch is a mage of some description." Yang said as she pressed her hand to the tablet. When she did so, her name appeared on the tablet, along with her age, membership year, and the date of her last accepted job. Additionally, her tattoo began to glow with a yellow light.

"Yes, and a powerful one from what I've heard. And how can I help you miss?" the question was directed at Weiss.

"Oh, well, you see…" Weiss said nervously.

"She's not a member of the guild, but since she's travelling with us, we hoped that maybe we could make an exception?"

"An exception? No, I'm afraid not." Said a voice from behind. The voice came from a tall, thin man with green hair. He appeared disheveled, his white shirt half-tucked into his brown pants, and his tie was slack. He took a sip from his mug before he continued. "It is both the policy and tradition of the guild that only members of the guild may stay at the guild. However," he pushed his round, thick glasses back up his nose, "This can be rectified by your joining the guild."

Weiss weighed her options. On the one hand, becoming a member of the guild could hurt her standing back home. She didn't know what her responsibilities as a member of the guild would be or what would be expected of her. But, on the other hand, this could be the chance she had been waiting for. Being an outstanding member of the guild often came with glory and a reputation she could mold through her actions.

"Alright, I'll do it." she said. "Where do I sign up?"

"Excellent, most excellent, miss?" the green-haired man responded.

"Schnee. Weiss Schnee."

"Well, Miss Schnee, my name is Master Oobleck and I am the master of this guild hall. You can join the guild over at the quest registration desk. Simply ask Ms. Adel, if you require any assistance. Now, off you go!" he said, before taking another swing of coffee and speeding off.

"Ruby," Yang said, putting a hand on her sister's shoulder, "You go help Weiss sign up. You'll know where to find me." She walked off to the bar.

"What was that about?" Weiss asked.

Ruby simply frowned, knowing full well what her sister was up to. "Tell you later. C'mon, let's get you in."

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As Yang walked to the bar, she reached into her rucksack and pulled out a pouch filled with money, her winnings from her last round of fights. Hopefully, Ruby and Weiss wouldn't be mad about her holding out on them, but she needed the money for what she was planning.

The bar was filled with patrons and every so often, a waitress would come up for more drinks. She walked over to an open stool in between the bar and the common area and signaled for the bartender.

"Hello miss, what'll it be?" he asked.

"I'll take a pint of ale." She answered.

"Anything else?" the bartender asked when he returned with her drink.

"Actually, I was hoping you could answer some questions for me?"

"Ask away."

"Well, you see, I'm looking for someone."

"Who might that be?"

"Raven Branwen." Yang said as she took a swig of her ale. The bar and common area had almost instantly grown quiet.

"Now why would a pretty young lady know a name like that?" the bartender asked, his kindly manner dropped at the mention of the name.

"Does it matter?" Yang replied, placing five crowns on the countertop. Five times the usual amount for a pint.

The bartender eyed her up and down as she continued to drink. "I suppose not." He said, taking the money.

"So, Raven. What do you know about her?"

"She's trouble. Leads a bandit tribe that never stays in one place for long. Has bounties in every Imperial province, as well as Kislev, Bretonnia, Estalia and Tilea."

Nothing Yang didn't already know. "Anything else? Where was the last place she was seen?" she said.

"You'll have to check with the quest counter, but the last bounty poster I saw put her somewhere on the border between Ostland and Talabecland. That was about two months back."

Yang sighed in frustration. She could be anywhere in that area by now. "Anything else?"

"Sorry, that's all I know."

"Alright. Thanks." She turned to the adventurers in the common area and called out, "Soldiers of glory, drinks on me!" This was met by boisterous cheers as everyone began enjoying themselves again. Yang stole a glance at the quest counter, where Weiss was finishing her membership paperwork. She then noticed who was helping them, a girl about Yang's age with neck-length brown hair, dark glasses, and a lock of hair on the right side of her face that was dyed a light caramel color.

"Ah, shit." She said.

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Ruby and Weiss had just finished signing Weiss up with the guild. Apparently, the guild had gone almost entirely paperless. Instead of having to fill out a massive stack of forms, Weiss simply used another of the stone tablets. She placed her hand upon the tablet, stated her intent to sign up, and provided her name, age, and the current date, after which her hand began to glow, and a stylized snowflake appeared on the back of her hand.

"Alright," said the man behind the counter, a man with dark skin, orange hair, and clear white eyes, "Welcome to the Adventurer's Guild. Do you have any questions?"

"Yes," said Weiss, "I was wondering if there were any expectations that I would have to meet?"

"I can answer that," said a female voice from behind the counter.

Ruby looked up, recognizing the voice.

"Coco?" she asked.

"Hey, Red, long time no see. What's it been, four years or so?" The girl, Coco, apparently, said with a grin.

"Thereabouts. Didn't expect to see you here." Ruby replied with her own grin.

"Well, after Helmgart, I got sent here to be an administrator."

"So that's why you guys… you know?"

"Okay," Weiss interjected, "What am I missing here?"

"Oh, right, sorry. Weiss, this is Coco Adel. She and Yang used to be together back when Yang was just getting started in the pits in Helmgart."

"Always did like strong women." Coco said, her grin widening.

"Well, anyways, they were pretty serious for about a year and a half. Then, well…" Ruby trailed off, not wanting to address the elephant in the room.

"You guys broke up." Weiss finished.

"Yeah." Coco said, her smile diminishing somewhat, "It was mutual, really. We agreed that neither of us would be able to sustain our careers and a long-distance relationship at the same time, so we agreed things had run their course."

"Don't let Yang know that I told you this or she will murder me, but she cried for a week afterwards. She was really cut up about it." Ruby said, lowering her voice.

"I think we both were. But from what I've heard, she's doing pretty well for herself nowadays. Three-year champ? Must be a record."

"Ask her yourself, she's over at the bar."

"Figures. I'll do that when I get a chance.' She held out her hand to Ruby, "It was good to see you again, Red."

"You too Fashion Queen." Ruby said, as she took the other girl's hand.

Weiss and Ruby departed to join Yang at the bar, who was currently in the midst of an arm wrestling competition.

"So, I take it that Yang is gay?" Weiss said, matter of factly.

Ruby looked at Weiss with a puzzled look. "Yeah. Is that a problem?"

'Weiss shook her head. "Not at all. I've known more than a few people who were the same back in Middenland. We're a rather progressive people, you know."

"Huh."

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Velvet walked up to the quest counter after finishing an order to talk to Coco. "Hey Coco, what was that about?" she asked.

"Just signing up a new member who just so happened to be accompanied by one Ruby Rose." Coco replied.

"The Reaper? What is she doing this far south?"

"No idea. She just said they were travelling together. Also said my ex was with her."

Velvet simply looked at her with a puzzled look. Coco had had a lot of girlfriends before, but each one tended to have certain defining features the others didn't. If Velvet remembered right, Coco's last girlfriend was Yang Xiao Long, which meant… She held her hands about three inches in front of her chest, an eyebrow cocked in question.

Coco burst out laughing, "Yes, that one."

"Well, where is she? I wanna meet her."

"No. No way in hell."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't want my current girlfriend and my ex to start comparing notes."

"Afraid I'll learn something you don't want me to, dear?" Velvet said mischievously.

"Yes. Now back to work waiter girl."

"Oh, please. As if you haven't been staring at me in this outfit every chance you get."

Coco chuckled to herself. That statement wasn't untrue. "Oh, you are gonna get it tonight, Scarlatina."

"Love you too."

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Carolina stood upon a platform as she watched the workers of Nuln and the members of 2nd platoon load the cargo into her wagons, keeping a special watch on the crane that was loading the cannons. It was somewhere around the middle of the night. The moon was high in the sky, which was starting to grow cloudy. The plaza the caravan had stopped in was brightly lit with torches and lanterns, and the members of 1st platoon were on watch, in case and unsavory characters got any ideas about trying to rob a military convoy. She yawned, her exhaustion becoming ever more apparent.

"Here." Said a male voice behind her. She turned and saw Washington walking up the stairs carrying two mugs of coffee, proffering one to her. "Black, just how you like it."

"Thanks, Wash." She said gratefully. She took a sip and allowed the liquid to sit in her mouth, savoring the bitterness and allowing the kick of it to take effect before she swallowed it.

"You look like you could use some sleep, Boss. I can handle the rest if you want to catch a few." Wash said.

"I'm fine, but thanks for the offer. Besides, you'd probably wind up helping out anyway if I left you in charge."

"That's not inaccurate." He said, jokingly. This caused a rare smile to pass her lips, if only for a moment.

"You hear the latest reports from the southern border?"

"Yeah, looks like old Grimgor is starting up a new horde in the Badlands. From what I've been able to gather, the dwarves won't be able to hold it alone." Washington said.

"Which means they might call on us to help them hold them back." Carolina continued.

"Which is probably why they're reinforcing Fort Haven with more men and material."

"And then there's that business going on in the East. Kislev is being overrun, Ostland is experiencing an increase in bandit raids, and Ostermark has to deal with some sort of criminal crisis. And on top of all of that, the Norscans are on the march. Together."

"Yeah, when you look how thinly we're spread, it's no wonder that the brass are turning to adventurers and mercs to do their politicking." Wash said with a shake of his head.

Carolina took another sip of coffee and looked to the south, where a large mass of dark clouds could be seen gathering. "Storm's coming." She said.

Seeing what she was referring to, Washington put down his coffee and said, "Looks bad too. I'll go make sure the black powder barrels are properly covered. Can't do shit with wet powder."

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 **A/N: Crosshares confirmed! I really wanted to say those two were a couple without actually saying it, so what better way than witty banter? Not much else to say other than a quick announcement; I will be taking some time off from writing to focus on personal matters. I'm going to be moving soon, so I need to get ready for that, and more importantly, my grandfather recently passed and my family is going to be heading to Philly for his memorial service.**

 **If you enjoyed this chapter ( or if you want to point out some criticisms, don't worry, I'm a big boy, I can take it), please feel free to leave a review and, as always, don't forget to follow and favorite. Peace!**


	5. On the Road, Part 2

**Hey guys. It's me, Old Wolf Logan, back with the next chapter of Smaller Souls and Greater Evil. Sorry if I sounded weird last chapter, but it was a very weird time in my life. My grandfather had just passed, most of my family, myself included, had travelled back to Philly for the funeral, plus a bunch of other IRL bullshit was going on. Made my life extremely stressful.**

 **Thankfully, all that is past me. Summer is here, and I can write as often as I want, so long as I can keep coming up with ideas and ways to string them together in interesting ways. Enjoy the chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: The following is a non-profit fan-fiction. RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth LLC, and Warhammer Fantasy Battles is owned Games Workshop Group, PLC. Please keep in mind that certain details will change to keep with the canon of both universes.**

Smaller Souls and Greater Evil

Chapter 4: On the Road, Part 2

Wissenland Wilderness, The Empire

Weiss was cold, and she was wet. These weren't exactly things she wasn't used to, having grown up in Atlas, but this was just ridiculous. It had been raining for three days straight, ever since they had left Nuln. They had been following the road that followed along the Upper River Reik, passing by several villages. They had reached Pfieldorf at the end of the first day, and crossed the River Soll the next morning, marking their transfer into Wissenland's personal tragedy.

From what she could remember from her history tutor and what she heard from Master Oobleck, who had a passion for history, Wissenland's original territory consisted of the lands between the Grey Mountains and the River Soll, with the rest belonging to the former province of Solland. However, Solland had been utterly destroyed by a greenskin warband in the early 18th century of the Imperial Calendar, and the lands were then given over to Wissenland. According to Oobleck, 'to this day the people of Wissenland still express a degree of sorrow and remembrance of their fallen countrymen.'

Weiss was brought out of her thoughts, as she noticed the rain begin to let up. Thank Ulric, she thought. Once the rain finally let up, she took off her traveling cloak and mentally went over the current situation, while Yang whined about her hair getting messed up and Ruby tried to keep her from blowing up. The caravan was traveling two carts abreast along a wide road with the Upper Reik on their left and a forest on the right. They had last passed the village of Staig which meant that the next village would be Ellwangen, were there should be a way across the river. Weiss felt it was imperative that they cross into Averland as soon as possible. There were hardly any forests in Averland, which made ambushes, her primary concern at the moment, far less likely. She had broached the idea to Carolina and, thankfully, she agreed.

And then, as if a gigantic cosmic middle finger suddenly rose in the Warp, summoned by the mere thought of an ambush, Weiss heard a loud braying sound coming from the forest, one she knew well. Turning to the source of the sound, she saw a humanoid creature with the head of a goat, complete with horns, and holding a pair of axes in its hands emerge from the tree line, with more in tow.

"Beastmen!" she yelled, drawing Myrtenaster and spurring Stardust forward.

Ruby saw them, and a serious expression replaced her normal, bright smile. "Yang, go!" she said.

"Oh, hell yeah. Let's go Bee!" the blonde said as she urged Bumblebee forward. Ruby calmly pulled her hood over her head, entering what Yang called 'reaper mode' as she drew her scythe from her back.

"Ready, Chestnut?" she asked her steed, who huffed in affirmation. "Right then. HA!" she cried, snapping the reigns. Chestnut charged forward, deep into the mass of Chaotic abominations.

Weiss was the first to draw blood, slashing down with her blade, decapitating one Gor to her left and using the momentum to plunge her sword through the forehead of another on her right. She dismounted Stardust and gave the horse a slap on the rear, telling it to leave her. She quickly jammed her blade in the ground, releasing a small amount of the magic she stored up upon impact, knocking every Beastman within twenty feet of her on their back and simply knocking back those outside that range.

Having gained some breathing room, she summoned a ring of ice ten feet wide, with her at the center. This separated her from most of the pack, leaving only a half-dozen Ungors in the ring, the rest of the pack was busy trying to chip away at the ice, and an unlucky few left impaled on the walls' spikes.

"Now then," Weiss said, cracking a kink in her neck and taking her stance, "Shall we dance?"

Yang simply jumped off Bumblebee's back and into the fray, her momentum carrying her to land on a Gor's chest and sliding back a few feet. The last thing it saw was one of her spiked gauntlets descending upon its' head with a sickening crunch.

"That's one." Yang said as she rose to her feet with a grin, as the rest of its' pack, all Ungors, rushed at her with their spears. She countered by charging them back and ducking their weapons. Her first opponent was met with successive jabs to the chest, followed by an uppercut to the chin that sent it flying.

"Two," she said before she became nothing more than a flurry of dodges, parries, and counters.

Ruby did much like her sister, leaping into the fray from Chestnut's back. She also landed on the chest of a Gor, but she dug the pointed haft of her scythe into it's chest, piercing it's heart and killing it instantly. Withdrawing her weapon as she stood, she glared at the opponents before her, analyzing the situation. Most beastmen warherds consisted mostly of Gors, the most numerous, largest, and most powerful of their race. But in this herd, she saw more Ungors, the lowest of their race. Ruby figured this must be a raiding party of some kind that broke off from a larger warherd.

Before she could think anymore, she was forced to block a spear that was aimed at her face. She caught the spear in the crook of her scythe, where the haft met the blade, and drove it down to the right, catching two more along the way. When all three spears hit the ground, she quickly reversed her blade and slashed up, bisecting three Ungors from hip to shoulder. From there, she was nothing more than a blur of slashes and falling limbs.

The girls clove a bloody path through the unnatural creatures, killing dozens in a matter of minutes. Even the horses managed to get in on the action, forming up into a wedge with Stardust at the center, leading the charge as they made several passes from different angles, trampling all in their path.

As the battle began to turn in favor of the caravan, a mighty roar was heard coming from the trees. What emerged was easily twice the height of any beastman in the warherd and had the head of a bull. It wore armor that was slap-dash at best and held a massive two-handed axe. A minotaur. It charged forward, barreling through its own kin in its bloodthirst, and crashed into the line of spears formed by the regular caravan guards.

Seeing this, Ruby cried out, "Yang! Weiss!" her companions joined her, covered in gore, though Weiss slightly less so than Yang. Ruby herself had a small patch of blood across her right cheek. "That thing is going to kill them. We have to take it down."

"So, what's the plan?" Weiss asked. "I assume you have a plan, right?"

"Just wait for my signal," Ruby said, drawing two of her pistols, "Yang, ready to try out Dad's present?"

Yang's eyes widened at the prospect, before a malicious grin spread across her face, "Oh. Yeah."

Ruby took aim at the minotaur and fired one of her pistols, hitting it in the back and making it roar in pain. It turned and saw the source of its pain as another bullet pierced its shoulder. It let out another roar and charged them. Ruby dropped her pistols and picked up her scythe.

"Weiss, now! Freeze it in place!" she yelled.

"On it!" Weiss replied, jamming Myrtenaster into the ground and releasing what magic she had left. Instantly, the minotaur was frozen at the hooves. It tried to break itself free, but the ice simply repaired itself where it cracked. "Whatever you're going to do, do it fast! I can't keep this up forever."

"Yang," Ruby yelled, putting the head of her scythe behind her. Yang ran up and jumped on the blade of the scythe. Ruby then spun her around before launching her at the beast. Yang landed a wicked right hook to the center of it's chest, her momentum, combined with her natural strength, knocking it to the ground. She then reached behind her and pulled out the blunderbuss her father had made for her from its holster in the small of her back.

"Want to know what death tastes like?" She said, putting the muzzle into the beasts' mouth and pulling the trigger. Its' head exploded in a burst of blood and gore. Seeing the largest among them fall, the Ungors turned and fled, leaving their larger cousins to fight and die alone.

As the regular guards started mopping up the stragglers, Ruby and Weiss ran up to Yang, who was cleaning herself of what had splattered over her.

"Man, I think some of it got in my hair." She whined

"Yeah, you could definitely use a bath, sis." Ruby said, lowering her hood, a bit of cheer returning to her face.

"Well, I will admit," Weiss said, pulling a white hankie out of her jacket and using it to clean her blade, "While crude, your plan was doubtless effective." She handed the hankie to Yang. "Here. You have, uh, just right there." pointed to her cheek.

"I will admit that was certainly a thing, ladies." Wash said as he walked over to them.

"Thank you, sir." Ruby replied, "Any casualties?"

"We're still checking, but preliminary report looks like at least two dead, and several others injured."

"See, this is why we need to get to Averland quickly." Weiss said.

"Well, don't worry about that Miss Schnee. We'll be at the next town by nightfall. We'll stay the night, patch up who we can, pay our respects to the fallen, and head out in the morning."

"I think I can help with the first aid." Said Yang before she turned to Ruby, "So sis, what's your kill count at? I myself am sitting at a pretty 26."

Ruby rolled her eyes at her sister's childish game. "32." She said with a grin.

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Later that night, Town of Ellwangen, Wissenland, The Empire

Weiss was on her way back to bed from the bathroom, as was her usual nighttime ritual, when she noticed something happening in one of the beds. The three girls had gotten a room in a small inn for the night and had fallen asleep fast after the days… events. Something was happening in Ruby's bed. When Weiss had left, the brunette was fast asleep, despite her sister's snoring, but now she seemed to be convulsing in her bed and she was muttering something Weiss couldn't quite make out. She walked over to Ruby with the dim light of the candle she held, she saw that the girl was still asleep.

"Mom," Ruby said, "Mom, please. Where are you? Mom, don't go."

Not knowing what to do, Weiss rushed to wake up Yang.

"Yang wake up. Please, something's wrong with Ruby." She said, shaking the sleeping blonde.

"Weiss, what the hell are you doing? What time is it?" Yang groaned as she awoke from her slumber.

"No time. I think Ruby's have a fit or something."

"What?"

Weiss pointed to Ruby who was still convulsing in her bed.

Yang wasted no time. She rushed to her sister and, to Weiss's surprise, lifted the girls' head so that she could rest it in her lap. She then began to gently rub Ruby's head as she started to sing.

 _Red like roses fills my dreams and brings me to the place you rest._

 _White is cold and always yearning, burdened by a royal test._

 _Black the beast descends from shadows._

 _Yellow beauty burns gold._

As soon as she started singing, Ruby began to calm down, the words soothing her. By the time Yang had finished, she was fast asleep again, her face at peace. Yang sighed and placed her sister's head back on the pillow and walked back over to her bed.

"Don't worry, Weiss. She wasn't having a fit. In fact, I was expecting this would happen."

"You were expecting this?!" Weiss asked incredulously.

"Yeah, she's been like this since she went solo. Every time she is forced to fight and kill, she has these terrible nightmares. She never talks about them, but I can tell they must be bad, to put it lightly. Thankfully, her mom's old lullaby seems to calm her down."

"Okay, that's a relief. Wait, what do you mean 'her mom'?"

"Aaand that's where I'm ending this conversation for tonight." Yang said, laying back down in her bed.

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Weiss awoke the next day to find Ruby fully dressed, sitting in the window with Crescent Rose sitting on her shoulder, watching the sunrise.

"Ruby?" she asked, concerned for the girl, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just wanted to see the sunrise."

"…"

"I take it you saw me last night?"

"I did. I thought you were having a seizure or something, and I didn't know what to do…"

"So you woke up Yang. Gotta admit, that right there is a gutsy thing to do. She would have decked you for any other reason."

"I believe you." Weiss said with a small grin. She wanted to ask Ruby about what Yang said last night, but before she could, Yang woke up.

"Morning." she mumbled. Yang had never been much of a friendly riser, except when her girlfriends had stayed the night.

"Morning." Ruby said as she got down from the window and started walking towards the door. "I'm gonna get the horses ready to go. You two had better do the same." She paused in the doorway, "And Yang?"

"Yeah, sis?"

"Thank you." The brunette said as she left.

Yang smiled to herself as she got out of bed and began to don her armor. Most of the right side was still covered in blood from where she had killed the minotaur. She had been more concerned with cleaning her hair than her armor before she went to help the medics when they arrived in town. Now the gore was dry, and Weiss expected it would take a fair amount of scrubbing to get it clean again.

"So, are you going to explain what you said last night?" Weiss asked as she began dressing herself. The question caused Yang to pause while putting on her pants.

"Maybe. Girl's gotta have her secrets after all." She said with a grin and a wink.

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Later that morning, Outside the town of Agbeiten, Averland, The Empire

"What the hell happened here?"

The small town of Agbeiten looked like it had been hit by, well by something bad. Buildings smoldered, the defensive palisade wall encompassing the town had holes in several places, men were busy either shoring up the defenses, rebuilding what they could or burying the dead in a small graveyard to the north of town, while the women tended to the wounded, patching their wounds, or giving them food and drink. Carolina was busy talking to the mayor, a tall man with blond hair and a matching mustache.

"Whatever happened, it looks like it could have a lot worse." Ruby said.

"I don't know," said Yang, "Look at these holes. Only way to do damage like that to this kind of defensive work is with some kind of siege engine."

"But why would anyone use something like that against some nothing village?"

"And who?" Weiss added.

"Well, I don't know about why," Carolina said as she returned to the caravan, "But I can tell you who; it was beastmen."

"Beastmen? Then how is this place not a smoldering ruin?" Weiss asked.

"From what the mayor told me, the village put up a strong defense, and the herd wasn't even that large a force. Just a bunch of Ungors and a few minotaurs."

"Sounds like we cleaned up the leftovers yesterday." Yang said.

"Sounds like it, but I want everyone on alert, just in case. That goes double for you three." Carolina said.

"You got it, Commander." Ruby said.

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Later that afternoon, outside the town of Hochsleben, Averland, The Empire

"Commander, smoke on the horizon!" One of the scouts reported. Carolina took out her spyglass and began to scan the horizon until she found it. Unfortunately, it was coming from the direction of the next town, the last one before Haven.

"Crap." She said, "Sergeant Maine, Ms. Rose, front and center!

"Wonder what she wants." Yang said, as she, Ruby and Weiss rode with the rest of 3rd platoon.

"Dunno. Be ready though." Said Ruby and she nudged Chestnut into a trot to the front.

"Ms. Rose, I want you and your party to ride ahead and scout out that smoke up ahead. 1st squad under Sgt. Maine will join you. Once you've cleared the area, report to him, and he'll give the all clear. Understood?"

"Got it ma'am." Ruby said as she drew Crescent Rose. She quickly brought her fingers to her lips and whistled before taking off at a gallop.

Back with 3rd Platoon, Yang heard Ruby's whistle. Knowing it to be the signal, she turned to Weiss and said, "Alright, Ice Queen, let's go. HA!" she snapped the reigns on Bumblebee, taking off after her sister with Weiss hot on her tail.

"Really? First, I'm a princess, now I'm a queen?"

"Yeah. Fitting, right?"

Weiss rolled her eyes and concentrated on their objective. She first caught sight of it as they crested the top of a hill. The smoke rose from the ruins of a town about a half-mile down the road from the caravan. This town, however, didn't look like it had been as fortunate as Agbeiten had been. There was no sign of even the remains of defensive structures, so the defenders couldn't have prepared themselves and the buildings were ruins.

Maine turned to one of his men and gave told him to give the preliminary all clear before the party continued into the town. As they neared, the picture became even more bleak. The buildings were nothing more than blackened frameworks. The walls that weren't burned were covered in blood stains and claw marks. Smoke rose from most of the buildings, indicators of small fires still smoldering under the wreckage.

"What happened here?" Yang said, horrified at what she was seeing as the party fanned out and searched the town. She hadn't seen anything like this in the Reikland.

Weiss walked down the main road until she saw something that made her freeze in place. "Ulric, no…"

"What is it, Weiss?" Ruby said, pulling up alongside the white-haired girl. She turned her head in the direction Weiss was facing and gasped in alarm. Before them, in the center of the town square stood a massive boulder that was covered in spears, spikes, human bodies and skulls. On the front was a banner that bore the eight-pointed star of Chaos.

"What is that thing?" Ruby asked.

"A herdstone." Weiss said, her voice twisting in anger, "The beastmen erect them to mark gathering points for their kind and to serve as alters to the Dark Gods. They did this."

In another part of town, Yang rode atop Bumblebee, searching for any possible survivors. She saw none. Sgt Maine came up behind her.

"Find anything?" he said in a deep, gruff voice.

"No, sir. No enemies, no survivors either." Yang replied.

"Mmm. I'll alert the commander that the town is clear." Maine said. As he walked off, he pulled out a flare gun and loaded it with a special kind of ammo.

Yang continued down the street she was on until she came to a collapsed house. A pale arm was sticking out from the rubble. Yang was about to continue on her way when she saw the hand clench into a fist. Someone was still alive under there!

"Ruby! Weiss!" she yelled as she began to clear the rubble.

"What's wrong?" Ruby asked as she and Weiss rode up.

"I think I found a survivor. Ruby, take Bumblebee. Ride back to caravan, find a doctor and get back here quick as you can." Ruby nodded, mounted her sister's horse and took off at break-neck speed. "Weiss, give me a hand here."

Together, the two girls quickly removed most of the charred debris, revealing the survivor: a young human with long black hair, most likely female, judging by the black bow on their head. Most of the wreckage had been cleared from her body except for a large wooden beam that was pinning her legs.

"Weiss, I'm gonna lift that thing off her. Once it's clear, grab her arms and pull her out." Yang said.

"Got it." Weiss replied.

Yang carefully approached the beam, set her feet shoulder length apart, grasped the beam and lifted with all her might. She managed to lift the beam a good six inches before Weiss quickly extricated the girl. Once she received the all-clear, Yang dropped the beam, flipped the girl onto her back and began a preliminary examination.

The first thing that came to Yang's mind was 'Damn, she is gorgeous.' The girl was wearing a white vest over a black tunic, black pants, and a matching leather breastplate, vambraces, and shin guards. On one side of her waist were a pair of curved sheathes, one of which had a sword still in it and on the other was a small sickle, like a miniature Crescent Rose, with a chain attached to the base. If she remembered right, it was called a kusarigama. Getting back on track, Yang placed an ear near the girl's mouth to check if she was breathing. Thankfully, she was. As Yang began to check her body for obvious injuries, she began to stir, groaning in pain. Yang looked up to see beautiful amber eyes staring back at her.

"Thank gods, you're awake." She said, "What's your name?"

"Blake." The girl replied.

"Well, Blake, my name is Yang, and this here is Weiss. We found you and pulled you free. Now just hold still. The medic should be here soon."

"I couldn't save them." Blake said, tears forming in her eyes. "The beasts butchered them, and there was nothing I could do."

"I'm sure you did everything you could. That's all that matters." Yang said as she continued to examine Blake for injuries. She eventually found one in her right leg, which had been pinned under the support beam. Broken for sure. Yang wasn't exactly a doctor, but she was pretty sure that a shin wasn't supposed to look like that.

What was more surprising was that she didn't seem to have any other wounds or injuries. It sounded like she had fought whatever had attacked the town, yet she only had the one broken leg. Not a scratch or cut on her. Must be one hell of a fighter, Yang thought.

"Where's Gambol Shroud?" Blake said, suddenly distressed. She tried to sit up, only to cry out in pain when she tried to move her leg. Yang gently pushed her back down on the ground.

"What?" Yang asked, confused.

"Gambol Shroud. My sword, where is it?"

"I don't know, where do you last remember having it?" She motioned to Weiss to start searching the immediate area for it. "What does it look like?"

"It's a katana. Black and white handle. I think I dropped it back there before I ran in here." she said, pointing up the street, where Yang had come from.

"They're over here!" they heard Ruby yell as she came charging down the street on Bumblebee, a woman in white plate armor with purple accents riding close behind. When she saw the girls, she urged her horse even faster. When she dismounted and kneeled next to Blake, Yang could swear she was grinning and that she had a manic glint in her eye.

"Hello," she said in a rather peppy tone as she began her own examination, "My name is Doctor Grey, and you are?"

"Blake Belladonna." She replied, very much worried by the doctor's tone.

"Oooh, that's a pretty name. Well, Ms. Belladonna, would you like the good news first or the bad news?"

"Bad news, I guess."

"You, quite obviously, have a broken left leg. It appears to have broken right where your shin armor ends."

"Great, this'll most likely lay me up for months and I won't be able to fight again."

"Normally, I would agree. However, here's where the good news comes. It's your only injury and I happen to know enough healing magic to make you right."

"What's the catch?" Yang asked.

"It isn't exactly painless, and it does tend to drain a LOT of energy from the patient."

"Will I still be able to fight?"

"Yes, but- "

"Do it." Blake said bluntly.

Grey stared at her for a moment before she pulled off her gloves, "Alright. First, we have to set your leg before I heal it, otherwise it won't heal properly." She took off the shin guard on the offending leg and tore her pants until she had a good view of the injury. The bone had completely broken through the skin off to the side and the wound had clotted. "Hand me those two planks, will you?" she said to Yang, pointing at a pair of wooden planks that lay in the wreckage of the house. She took the planks and placed them on either side of the broken leg, and then stated to tie some of the bandages she had on hand around them.

With the leg set, she took a breath and pulled a piece of rolled leather out of her bag and held it out to Blake.

"Bite down on this. Trust me, you're going to need it." Grey said. Blake didn't even blink as she put the roll in her mouth. "Alrighty, here goes." The 'here goes' was said in a deeper voice, which unnerved just about everyone. Grey held out her hands just above the girl's broken leg and closed her eyes. She focused the local Winds of Magic and called upon the green wind of Ghyran. She concentrated on the break in the leg and opened her eyes. Immediately, her hands glowed with a jade light, as did Blake's leg. Soon, the leg began to heal itself; the bone retreated beneath the skin into its' proper place and the open wound left behind stitched itself back together. Unfortunately for Blake, she felt all this happen and she let out a muffled scream as soon as the bone began to move. If not for the roll of leather in her mouth, she would have either accidentally bitten her tongue or destroyed her teeth trying to grit them to suppress her pain. Soon the light faded and all that was left of the injury was a small scar that was barely even visible.

"Alrighty," Dr Grey said in her unusually peppy voice, "You're good to go. Just don't put too much pressure on it, get a full night's rest and try not to die."

"Actively trying as we speak. Thank you, doctor." Blake said, exhausted.

"Alright, Ms. Blake Belladonna, let's get you up on your feet." Yang said as she grabbed Blake's hands- damn they were soft for a warrior- and helped lift her up. She put Blake's right arm over her shoulder while Ruby took the left.

"It's probably best if you come with us," Ruby said, "We're headed for Fort Haven. Should be there by nightfall."

"Sure, why not?" Blake said, too tired to really care, "But I'm not leaving without my sword or Shadow."

"We're working on the sword, but who's Shadow." Yang said.

"My horse. He wasn't here when the beastmen struck. He hates stables, so I let him wander."

"You must really trust him then," Said Weiss as she joined the trio. She was holding a katana in her hand, exactly as Blake had described it. Ruby noticed that the guard on both swords seemed to be in the shape of a cat's head. "Here you go. Found it lodged in the chest of a gor that was pinned to a wall."

"Thank you." The raven-haired girl said, taking her sword and sheathing it. "Now for Shadow." She brought her hands to her lips and whistled as loud as she could. A few minutes later, her beloved black steed could be seen running up the street towards them. He stopped in front of Blake and sniffed her with a look of concern in his eyes.

"Alright," said Yang, "Let's get you to the caravan, and off that leg."

Blake was already nodding off by the time the group reached Church's cart. They managed to get her in without any trouble, though she fell asleep almost as soon as her head hit the floor of the cart.

"Damn. Didn't know healing magic took that much out of a person."

"Well, Doctor Grey did warn her about the side effects." Said Ruby

While Ruby and Yang were helping Blake into the cart, Weiss strode over to Carolina with determination in her step. Carolina was sitting atop her horse, staring at the main square.

"Commander, excuse my presumptuousness, but we need to destroy that herdstone immediately. The longer we allow it to exist, the more it will attract those beasts." She said.

"We're already on it. As we speak, my men are planting barrels of gunpowder around it." Carolina said as her expression hardened, turning into a combination of disgust and anger. "I know all too well the dangers these profane altars present. So long as I live, none shall be left standing." Unconsciously, her right hand drifted up to her neck and wrapped around a small silver pendant in the shape of a snarling wolf's head.

 **And there you guys go. Kind of a lot happening in one chapter.**

 **Our first combat sequence. This was fun to visualize. I wanted to go for something akin to the Battle of Haven from Volume 5. Instead a grand sweeping view we saw from the Battle of Beacon, we focus on the smaller actions of the individual members of Team RWY. The bit with the minotaur was also fun. It might have broken the mold on how the characters might behave in that kind of situation, but I just wanted it to seem badass.**

 **The bit with Ruby the night after the fight was something I've had in the works since I started this. Despite how she acts on the battlefield, Ruby is still human, not to mention a frankly damaged young lady.**

 **And finally, Blake. Are you guys happy now? People have been asking when and how Blake was going to be introduced since the first actual chapter, and this is how I wanted to do it. As you can probably tell, Yang is very attracted to Blake, and I have quite a few plans for them moving forward.**

 **In any case, another chapter down, time to work on the next. Please don't forget to follow, favorite, and feel free to leave a review, especially criticisms. The more of those I get, the better I can make the story. Old Wolf, out.**


	6. A Message from the Author

Smaller Souls and Greater Evil

Announcement from the Author

 **Hey guys, Old Wolf Logan here with a couple things to address.**

 **First, I want to address something that a few reviewers brought up, mainly how the White Rose and Bumblebee pairings would not work in the setting I'm using. Basically, the concern is that homosexuality would be seen as heretical by the Imperial Church. After consulting with multiple members of the fandom, as well as Games Workshop employees, I have come to the conclusion that this is a misunderstanding.**

 **For the uninitiated, let me provide some context. In the Warhammer multiverse, whether it's Fantasy, 40k or Age of Sigmar, there is a pantheon of gods, known collectively as the Dark Gods of Chaos, who are basically the personification of pure evil. One of these gods is known as Slaanesh, the Dark Prince of Pleasure, and he is often, mistakenly, associated with sexuality. This is not the case.**

 **Slaanesh's domain is in the excesses of mortal emotions and he is given power when these emotions are taken to absurd extremes. So unless Team RWBY turns out to be made up of a bunch of true deviants who can only be seen on the darkest of dark web porn sites, Slaanesh wouldn't give two shits if they are gay, straight, trans, bi, or even gender non-binary.**

 **The second matter is an actual announcement. After much consideration, I have decided to put Smaller Souls on an indefinite hiatus until such time as I can devote more time to properly writing it and have a clear plan laid out for the plot. Up till now, I have pretty much been pulling things out of my butt and stringing them along in a semi-coherent fashion. With everything going on in my life right now, between my job, prepping for RTX next month and applying for four-year college, I just don't have the time, the energy or the inspiration to write this in a way I can be happy with. So really, the only option is to put this story on the shelf for a while. However, I will be posting the next chapter since I have it about 30% done.**

 **If, for some strange reason, you like my writing, I will be continuing to write** **Fate/Remnant** **, as well as my new story** **Death Does Not Become Her** **.**

 **Thank you for your understanding.**


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